Aug 22, 2022
Shoppe Object celebrates high attendance

Six months after its acquisition by International Market Centers (IMC), Shoppe Object’s summer market, Aug. 14-16, celebrated its biggest show yet with doubled attendance from the previous year –– and an increase of 20% over the February edition –– in a sold-out Pier 36 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Shoppe Object presented an expanded hybrid market of over 500 brands to top retailers from around the country and abroad, and as the market wrapped last Tuesday, Shoppe Object passed the 50% mark in pre-sales for even greater expansion planned for the February 2023 market.

Show founder and Creative Director, Jesse James, summed up the growth as a testament to the show’s spirit of community. “At Shoppe Object we talk a lot about building community,” said James, “and it’s not just lip service. We have worked tirelessly over the last six months, with the help of our new partners at IMC, to double down on our commitment to quality, discovery and curation, bringing more great brands and retailers together at this summer’s market than ever before. The continued growth in our engagement last week at Pier 36 was both palpable and inspirational; you could feel the effort come to fruition in a very real way on the show floor, and it was thrilling. We knew we were moving in the right direction, and it’s extremely validating to watch people engage in the kind of meaningful connection and commerce that they were seeking by coming to Shoppe Object.”

From Sunday to Tuesday, Aug. 14-16, a global audience traveled to Shoppe Object’s waterside home at Pier 36 along Manhattan’s East River to explore an impressive roster of design-driven brands in diverse categories, including tabletop, home textiles, beauty and wellness, books, stationery, housewares, kids, apparel and accessories. Attendees from all 50 states and 5 continents visited Shoppe Object, including larger retailers such as Anthropologie, Arhaus, Barnes & Noble, Bergdorf Goodman, Bed Bath & Beyond, Bloomingdale’s, Crate&Barrel, Design Within Reach, Food52, Garnet Hill, J. Crew, Kohls, Liberty of London, Lord & Taylor, Magnolia Market, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, Saks Fifth Avenue, Urban Outfitters, Wayfair, West Elm and World Market, as well as premier independent retailers from throughout North America.

Attendance growth has not been limited to Shoppe Object’s physical show; sales on its first-to-market hybrid model includes digital integration on the show floor with Shoppe Online –– the show’s year-round B2B e-commerce platform –– where sales during the market days were equally robust. During the three-day market, sales on Shoppe Online increased by 35% over last season, and the platform’s QR-code technology saw a 30% increase over the previous market in activity from the show floor, allowing buyers to easily follow up on favorite brands and products post-market.

Heading into 2023, Shoppe Object is poised for continued growth at its familiar Pier 36 location, with plans to annex new space that will expand the footprint of its show floor by another 30%. The list of brands already contracted to exhibit at the Winter 2023 show includes Areaware, Assouline, Blomus, Caskata, Fog Linen, Mohinders, Phaidon, Saved New York, Studio Carta, and the 60+ brands represented by Aesthetic Movement and Karen Alweil Studio. As contracts from current exhibitors continue to flow in, the Shoppe Object sales team is preparing to begin the process of contracting new brands beginning August 22.

“Our goal is to continue to show a selection of the best brands in the world, and to continue to expand on our key home and lifestyle categories. For the summer show we sold out more than three months in advance, and for the first time ever we were are already close to 50% pre-sold for February,” Renata Bokalo, director of sales said. “I am thrilled that we have plans in the works to significantly expand our current footprint at Pier 36 next season, so that we can offer even more to our buyers, and provide a home for more wonderful brands that have been patiently waiting to participate. It’s not just about more brands and more buyers –– it’s about attracting the most compelling, inspiring products that will continue to bring the best retailers to our unique and growing market. The show may have just ended, but we are already full speed ahead.”

The next Shoppe Object will take place Feb. 5-7 at Pier 36, 299 South Street, New York. For information, visit shoppeobject.com.




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