Feb 5, 2014

California Market Center Gift & Home Commences New Year with Successful Winter Gift & Home Market

Warm temperatures and hot products were on hand to greet retailers at Winter Gift & Home Market at the California Market Center (CMC), January 21-27, 2014. Pleased showrooms reported meeting with serious buyers who arrived ready for new product and order-writing.

“Christmas 2013 sales were much better than expected, so retailers came to our show ready to stock their shelves with new products as well as getting a jump start on holiday buying for 2014,” states Gerry Seibel, Vice President of New Business Development. “Traffic was steady throughout the Winter Market, and we were pleased to welcome so many buyers from throughout the United States, as well as internationally!”

Getting the new year off to a great start, retailers from as far as Tokyo, Japan, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Branson, MO, Honolulu, HI, and Las Vegas, NV, came to the CMC to shop the west coast’s largest collection of holiday/seasonal products, contemporary baby/children’s accessories, and some of the most well known giftware lines, in addition to fashion accessories and apparel. Stores attending the Winter Market included museums, hotels and casinos, zoos and botanical gardens, and hospital gift shops, including: Peppermill Hotel & Casino, Amazon, San Diego Zoo, Marshalls Retailer Group, Burlington’s, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Knotts Berry Farm, Coronado Historic Museum, Descanso Gardens, Kap’olani Medical Center, USC Norris Cancer Center, and a number of Hallmark stores.

“The Market was very successful for us,” agrees Dale Zizi, whose sales firm represents leading holiday lines such as Melrose International, Katherine’s Collection, and Bethany Lowe. “We were in our showroom writing orders until after 8 pm every evening.”

“Having our home at the CMC has provided us with dozens of new accounts, especially in the areas of fashion and children’s merchandise. This Winter Market proved to be no exception, as we saw both our active customers, and new retailers discovering the variety of resources CMC Gift & Home showrooms have to offer,” concurs Mickey Lang, owner of the 40,000 sq. ft. gift, home and lifestyle showroom, California Marketing Associates.

Highlights of the Market included showroom expansions for seasonal products leader Melrose Collection, and pop-art wall décor specialists Maxwell Dickson. Also bringing excitement to the Market was the opening of the new Byers’ Choice holiday-themed showroom.

The next Gift & Home Market at the CMC will take place March 16-19, 2014. The Market will feature a “Christmas in March” focus and will be held concurrently with the LA Fashion Market for an expanded selection of cross-over resources.

About the California Market Center (CMC) – California Market Center is the hub of the style industries in Los Angeles and is located in the heart of downtown’s Fashion District. As home to thousands of premier Fashion, Textile, Gift, and Home Decor resources found throughout hundreds of permanent showrooms, the CMC offers a true lifestyle marketplace that is unparalleled on the West Coast and is open year-round to the trade. The CMC’s 3-million square foot showroom & event venue is also host to an annual calendar of industry-renowned Markets, tradeshows and special events, including Gift & Home Market in Los Angeles.

Website – www.californiamarketcenter.com/giftandhome

CMC Gift & Home Media Contact:

Debra Gold

Gold & Company

818.567.4653

debra@goldsco.com