And APPAreL - National Association of Retail Buyers

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Association of Retail Buyers
Trends
And APPAreL
National Association of Retail Buyers & Sellers presents
A Note from
Co-founder
Angela Dalby
We All hAve ThAT old fAvoRiTe (or maybe several favorites) faded, worn
in and washed out sweatshirt or t-shirt. Mine is a 15+ year-old blue NYC sweatshirt and
if i am lounging around the house—chances are i have it on. if i’m working or writing
from home—there’s a good chance i have it on. if i’m sick in bed with the flu, there’s a
good chance i have it on. There is something about that sweatshirt that’s comforting and
makes everything feel a little bit better-like a good friend’s embrace. Apparel plays such
an important role in most all of our National Association of Retail Buyers & Sellers
(NARB) members’ merchandise assortments. T-shirts are the #1 souvenir item guests
scoop up as mementos for themselves or gifts to bring back home.
SG&N has dedicated this entire March issue
to apparel—and we wanted to continue that
focus in our dedicated NARB section. inside
these pages you will find exciting features all
written by members of our association that include tips on creating fabulous visual statement
“boutique style vignettes” with your apparel collections. You will also read about some of the
hottest fabric accessories for spring to embellish
any wardrobe and punch up your store with fun
colorful patterns and designs. There is an informative piece that breaks down the “Cotton
Crisis” and will help a retailer better understand
the changing market with insights and suggestions from souvenir apparel industry leaders.
looking ahead, April is Autism Awareness
Month and we have included a great piece on
Autism Awareness for Retailers. Autism is a developmental disorder and the daily challenges
that a family faces hits home for me. i have both
a niece and a nephew that have the disorder and
i understand firsthand the complexities and chal-
M I S S I O N
lenges that come with an autistic diagnosis. Not
only does the article serve as a wonderful
awareness piece, but it is also an apparel and toy
product knowledge tool for Retail Buyers and
Merchandisers.
T-shirts are the #1
souvenir item guests
scoop up as mementos
for themselves or gifts
to bring back home.
We hope you enjoy the insight that fellow industry veterans share with you. And we welcome you to become a part of our growing
community of retail professionals. To find out
more about our organization and upcoming
events, please visit us at: www.NARBuyers.org
Happy Spring!!
—Angela
S T A T E M E N T
The National Association of Retail Buyers & Sellers is an independent, non-profit,
national membership organization dedicated to strengthening and developing the careers
and/or education of its members.
O
Association of Retail Buyers
Cotton:The FABrIc of
our LIveLIhood
By Angela Dalby
oNe of The iNduSTRY iSSueS on the forefront of many members of the National
Association of Retail Buyers & Sellers minds this winter was the “Cotton Crisis” and how it
will impact future wholesale prices on softgoods. We have all seen the national headlines of
cotton prices at an all time high ($0.55 a pound to $1.60), we’ve received industry news emails
from suppliers and heard the buzz that prices will be increasing and supply might run short.
But what does it all really mean and what does a savvy Retail Buyer need to know in 2011?
SUPPLY
Cotton accounts for about 35% of total world
fiber use. There are 4 major players in the world cotton supply. China is the largest cotton producer, followed by india, the united States and Pakistan. in
2009, China suffered a significant drought which resulted in a crop output with a 14.6% decline. in
2010, heavy rains plagued China hurting that nation’s crop again and devastating flooding in Pakistan resulted in another 5.4% drop in global
production. The world suffered a total of a 20% decrease in supply in a short 2 year time period.
According to the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, many farmers have
chosen to raise grain...instead of
cotton causing a further shortage
in an already depleted raw stock.
DEMAND
if you examine worldwide cotton consumption
by country you find that China, india and Pakistan
lead the list. Although these countries are also major
cotton source suppliers, the cotton is staying home
to support their respective garment manufacturing
industries. india even halted all cotton exports for a
time period in 2010 with fears that the worldwide
decrease in global production could adversely affect
its domestic garment industry.
The u.S. exports 80% of its cotton crop as there
is only a small domestic manufacturing infrastructure in North America. According to the u.S. department of Agriculture, many farmers have chosen to
raise grain (which has traditionally yielded a better
return) instead of cotton causing a further shortage in
an already depleted raw stock. The 2010 worldwide
cotton harvest was the lowest based on acreage in 20
years despite a year that saw trend increases in consumer demands for textile items.
PRICES
The worldwide cotton shortage results in a classic supply and demand scenario in which prices are
bound to increase. if you add in the rising costs of
labor in China and a weaker u.S. dollar, you then
begin to understand all the components that are
going into the price increases your suppliers are
quoting.
Another way to break it all down is to understand that the cost of raw materials make up roughly
a half of the cost to produce a garment. if the fabric
cost for a t-shirt increases $0.25 per yard and there
is approximately 1 yard of fabric in every shirt, we
can assume a first increase of $0.25 per garment,
plus a 20% duty charge to import, for a total of
$0.30 increase per garment before labor or profit
margin markups.
Association of Retail Buyers
“ It is during times like this
that the relationship with
my suppliers that I have
worked hard to develop
and build over the years
pay off.”
INDUSTRY NOTES
for the apparel industry, the rising prices have
ended roughly two decades of cheap cotton. Consumers have become used to relatively low prices
making it more difficult for suppliers to pass on the
rising costs, especially as the economy struggles to rebound. The most at risk are discount retailers who
compete on price point and move large quantities of
cotton-based basic items such as t-shirts. But clothing
manufactures of all price levels may be forced to decide between absorbing the costs or passing them on.
Angelo Curmaci, Vice President of Royal Resortwear has
had cost increases from his production facilities in China of over
25% but is only passing on 10%
to his customers, “i am absorbing
as much of the cost increases from the factories that
i can so that my retailers will be minimally hit.”
Curmaci recommends that Retail Buyers pre-book
out their inventory needs in advance as much as possible in 2011 to avoid stock out issues.
John Drummond, President of
Out of Hand Graphics worked
closely with major u.S. t-shirt
distributors to future book as
much inventory as possible at
lower prices and tie up his inventory needs, “it is during times like this that the relationships with my suppliers that i have worked hard
to develop and build over the years pay off.” drummond recommends that Retail Buyers apply the
same principals with their suppliers.
—John Drummond
Todd Reisman, Vice-President of
Sales for Polar Graphics points
out that innovative graphics and
designs will become more important than ever to increase the perceived value in the consumers’
minds where price increases are unavoidable, “with
fresh compelling designs and collections a customer
is not going to notice a $1-$2 retail increase or mind
paying it.” Reisman also councils Buyers when forecasting their inventory needs to factor in longer lead
times in 2011 so there are fewer stock outs on the retail sales floor given the shortage of supply.
BEYOND 2011
With the higher cotton prices we will see a significant increase in cotton production in 2011. The
u.S. department of Agriculture is expecting the
global cotton production to rebound up to 14% in
the upcoming months. india and other merging
countries like Australia and Brazil are increasing
output 12-40% in response to the increased global
demand. The existing high prices are also pushing
mills to switch to cheaper man-made fibers such as
polyester.
once supply realigns with demands pricing
should move back towards a longer term average
and this is already starting to reflect in the price of
cotton for future deliveries. december 2011 contract output is already increased by 35% from december 2010. it may take weathering this next year
but there is an end in sight to the “Cotton Crisis”
and savvy Retail Buyers will have the knowledge to
ride out the storm.
Association of Retail Buyers
Fun with
FAshIonABLe
FABrIc
AccessorIes
A
By Christine Anderson
SCARVES AND SHAWLS
FOR ALL SEASONS
Ah, yes!! Supple, soft, sassy and a must
for every lady’s wardrobe, scarves and
shawls have made an overwhelming
comeback. Women are adorning themselves with versatile
fashion pieces in a wide array of neutral shades and hot
punches of color. And oh, the prints! Animal continues to
lead the pack followed by floral, paisley, Burberry plaid,
geometric, hounds tooth and damask. As well, a multitude
of muted tone on tone patterns softens the mix. fabrics
range from blends of cotton, silk and wool to polar fleece
for warmth and lacy romantic sheers for summer.
With a true sense of innovation, designer francoise Sengens has created a spectacular new shawl
line (pictured right). her fall collection was comprised of cozy washable fleece in twelve superb
colors and prints. Spring promises light weight
soft dressy fabrications and swim suit cover ups.
her future collection plans include adding chenille
and terry spa inspired bath robes.
The scarf trend reinvented itself when the
economy was at its lowest ebb. Women wanted
something to spruce up their wardrobe in an affordable manner. What better way than
enhancing last year’s outfit with a splash
of brilliant color by adding a decorative
fashion accessory. Now they have become a staple. from neck and shoulder
adornment to belts and head wraps, in
every fabric and print imaginable, fun,
flashy and a true compliment to enhance
and embellish any wardrobe.
BAGS, BAGS, BAGS!!!!
Why resort back to the doldrums of
basic black, beige and brown “Yesterdays bags?” Boring! let’s think for just a minute
about transitioning a few of the fantastic prints
mentioned above and applying them to bags. What
we would have is nothing short of pure fun and
fancy fashion accessory bags that become an extension of our wardrobe.
Black and white play a prominent role in this
classification. however, they are consistently
trimmed with bright colors such as fuchsia,
turquoise, red or green for a wide selection to
choose from. Again, we find animal prints such as
zebra, giraffe, cheetah, leopard and snake, dog and
cat paw prints, polka dots, herringbone, typography
and most recently damask. Solids pack a big punch
such as basic black and bright fuchsia.
Canvas twill is the primary fabrication used for
the above mentioned bags and they are available in
totes, back packs and duffel bag silhouettes. in addition, there is an emergence of soft cotton hobo
style floral print bags in the offering. These light
weight feminine beauties hug the body and offer an
extensive selection of colors and prints that complement any outfit.
even with the price of cotton rising as it is,
compared to fashion leather, these bags can be purchased for pennies on the dollar. They are washable, animal and eco friendly (No animals lost their
lives to produce them.)
So as we approach the spring season, take a look
at your options when planning your assortment.
Bring some fun fabric accessories into your store’s
merchandise mix and brighten your customer’s day!
Association of Retail Buyers
Visual Retail roundTABLe
Kerry Hand, Corporate Director of Merchandise for Great Wolf Resorts
shares tips for creating fabulous apparel sections on your retail sales floor...
Creating attention grabbing, interesting and easy to shop displays is one of the
most rewarding aspects of working in retail. At our Great Wolf Resorts retail stores
we strive to create apparel displays that dazzle our guests and show them exactly
how to create outfits. A fun way to do this is to design boutique style vignettes.
These vignettes consist of various products showcased in a particular theme or color
scheme.
one of our Missy swimwear vignettes featured our Black and Turquoise collection. We displayed
the suits with color co-coordinating cover-ups, sandals and beach bags. The results were eye catching
and drew our customers to the display. it also provided the guest with an easy one stop shopping experience. if she loves the suit and sees the adorable matching sandals she more often than not will treat
herself to those also.
The following are key tools in producing an appealing vignette:
• Keep the display organized simply and easy to shop.
Keep the guest focused on the apparel. Congested,
cluttered and overstocked shelves and 4 ways are
distracting and keep the customer from appreciating
the merchandise.
• Use a variety of display units. When creating floor
displays, tables and 4 ways are essential. Wall displays
should feature certain garments hung and others folded
on shelving to provide a visually stimulating effect.
Mannequins and body forms present a format for
highlighting featured garments.
• Lighting! No matter how great the display is, the effect
will be lost if guests can not see it.
• Up keep. Take a photo of the final display. Post this for
staff to reference and maintain the look of the vignette.
We are thrilled when guests enter our shops and feel the sense
of excitement and pleasure that we created. our elation soars as
we see the results that our dynamic displays have on our retail
sales.
W
Association of Retail Buyers
AuTIsm AwAreness
for reTAILers
By Carrie D. Cox
We live iN A TiMe WheN eveRY oRGANizATioN, profession,
and medical condition has a special awareness day, week, or month. it's easy
to let these slip by without thinking they have merit to be included in your
merchandising, but i encourage you to read up on April’s biggest campaign—
National Autism Awareness Month. Chances are that your company is sitting
on several items that are easily marketed to the Autism Community. As many as 1 out of
110 children in the united States are being diagnosed with autism-related disorders. delays
across all developmental areas—language, social abilities, gross and fine motor skills—
can range from slight to significant, but all need to be addressed at home and in educational
settings.
for those living with Autism Spectrum disorders, there is a legion of challenges to battle each
day. Some of the biggest problems facing those on
the spectrum are sensory dysfunctions. Sensory issues can be either positive or negative—either the
person craves sensory input or their system is constantly running on overdrive and they literally cannot tolerate certain sounds, visuals, smells, tastes, or
textures. out of all the senses of the body, touch is
As many as 1 out of 110
children in the United States
are being diagnosed with
autism-related disorders.
often the most noticeably affected.
for those with heightened sensitivity to texture,
the simple act of getting dressed can be traumatic.
The easiest complaint to solve is the irritation of
tags. There is a plethora of tagless clothes being
made, which reduces the amount of time parents
spend removing those pesky flaps located inside the
collars of many shirts. Beyond the tags, the overall
softness of the clothing is important. Pre-washed,
organic cottons and brushed fabrics are all great
choices for people with special needs.
Another clothing issue is the graphics/logos on
the items themselves. Some inks can be applied so
thickly that they change the texture on the interior
of the shirt. Anything that is too stiff or scratchy
against the skin is not a good match with autism. A
prime example of a company that uses ink in a noninvasive way is out of hand Graphics. According
to vice President Keith Johnson, out of hand
Graphics uses a light hand approach to applying
their inks—using as little ink deposit as possible on
their clothing. The end result is quality designs
without the bullet-proof shield sensation on the
shirt.
out of hand Graphics also has sensory therapy
working for them on the outside. Puffy, sparkles
and glow graphics are all found on different styles
of their shirts. An autistic child can run his fingers
over the textures of a puffy, glow-in-the-dark print
to calm his anxiety while sitting in a noisy class-
T-shirts inks on Out Of Hand Graphics designs are
applied with a non-invasive light hand approach.
Association of Retail Buyers
room or traveling in an unfamiliar location. Plus,
their integrity holds up in the wash, which is essential to parents who have to wash a favorite shirt several times a week.
An important part of therapy services for many
autistic people is sensory integration. for those who
are acutely affected by heightened sensitivities, they
need to be gradually introduced to new textures and
movement possibilities. Toys and objects that are manipulative are the key to these new exposures. items
that can be squeezed, squished, rubbed, molded, or
pulled is what it’s all about, and Play visions has one
of the biggest and best selections around.
Water Wiggilies might be all the rave on the
playground, but they are also found in an occupational therapists office. Play visions’ light-up dNA
and Molecule balls can be effective at drawing an
autistic child's attention away from his self-stimulating behaviors, allowing an ABA therapist the attention he or she needs to introduce a new skill. Toys
such as the inside out Balls and items from the
hyper-flex line have just the right stretch for developing minds to explore pliable textures. All of these
toys are also perfect matches for those individuals
who crave constant sensory input, as well as those
who have to be guided to investigate new sensations. Kiley Rose, National Sales Manager at Play
visions, reports that the company sells directly to
several therapy outlets and companies who specialize in children with special needs as well as to
tourism and novelty focused institutions.
This April would be a great time to focus a display or sale on Autism-friendly products. Making
contact with a local chapter of an autism support
group, such as the Autism Society of America,
might lead to your company to be able to advertise
your merchandise or even help sponsor an event for
extra publicity too. if you see a customer wearing a
colorful, puzzle piece ribbon for Autism Awareness
don’t hesitate to acknowledge your interest in the
condition. hands on selling some of these innovative products are a great way to help enrich the lives
of those with autism and increase your retail sales.
Play Vision offers
an array of toys
ideal for sensory
integration.
All of these toys are also perfect
matches for those individuals who
crave constant sensory input, as
well as those who have to be guided
to investigate new sensations.
Many of Play Vision’s
designs can now be found
in offices of occupational
therapists.
Association of Retail Buyers
Philadelphia Gift Show
Boston Gift Show
NARB 2011 Trade Show Calendar
SAVE THE DATES Look for additional information in show directories or
visit us online at: www.NARBuyers.org
TRADE SHOW
DATES
NARB TRADE SHOW EVENTS
Boston Gift Show
March 27-30
NARB Sponsored Retail Roundtable
Session
Philadelphia Gift Show
July 24-27
NARB Sponsored Educational Seminar
NARB Networking Mixer
San Francisco
International Gift Fair
August 6-9
NARB Networking Mixer
Seattle Gift Show
August 13-16
NARB Sponsored Educational Seminar
NARB Networking Mixer
ASD East
September 11-13
NARB Sponsored Educational Seminar
Las Vegas National Souvenir
& Resort Gift Show
September 20-23
IGES
San Francisco International Gift Fair
November 3-7
NARB Sponsored Buyer Scavenger Hunt
NARB Sponsored Retail Roundtable
Sessions
NARB Sponsored Educational Seminars
NARB Sponsored Retail Roundtable
Sessions
NARB Buyers Lounge
2nd Annual NARB Smokin Hot Hoedown
to benefit the Tracy Barlow Memorial
Scholarship Fund
SeattleGift Show