In our never-ending search for the newest in cool, we trekked out to NYC for the New York International Gift Fair. Because nothing says innovative like stationary and gifty perfumes, right?
Seriously, this is a so-BIG-you-can’t-see-it-all-in-one-day show, because just about anything & everything—toys, games, clothing, housewares, home and personal accessories, you name it—can be gifted... and re-gifted. So we wanted to see the latest inventive gifts before they get to the fancy boutiques. Here are a few highlights from our Product Licensing Manager who was there, Evelyn Salguero:
Baby and children’s items were out in force, with manufacturers in these two adjacent categories really making their presence known to the gift industry. We saw a whole bunch of inventive new products created to solve problems for mom and/or baby (ie: check out Petunia Pickle Bottom’s Valet Stroller Clips), as well as a bunch of trendy items aimed at moms more focused on being hip than holding a kid to their hip (thanks Angelina and Reece—you and your many nannies raise the bar for all of us). Evelyn’s pick: Cricket & Monkey’s Amanda Messenger Diaper Bag. Compared to last year, buyers appeared to be doing more window-shopping than purchasing. A number of them said they intend to place orders after, not at, the show. One buyer told us in confidence that she was ordering to take advantage of exhibitors’ Show Special discounts… but hedging her bets by scheduling for distant ship dates so she’d have plenty of time to cancel. The busiest booths had two things in common: 1) They carried products at two to three different price points from moderate to high, so buyers would have more choices, and 2) They carried the highest quality products in their respective category—be it in linen/textiles, furnishings or fragrance—because people are cutting back on things like five-star vacations but still willing to splurge a little when it comes to giving items that create a more luxurious atmosphere at home.
Thank you so much for sharing this,i also wanted to see the latest inventive gifts before they get to the fancy boutiques. :)
ford
Posted by: gifts Philippines | August 25, 2009 at 07:07 PM