Scene & Heard

Industry Reconnects in Atlanta

YOU COULD FEEL the energy the minute entering the Cobb Galleria Centre, longtime home of The Atlanta Shoe Market (TASM), held last month. The crowd noise, the narrower aisles to squeeze in more exhibitors and the buyers and wholesalers who filled them—all happily reconnecting after two years of zoom meetings and fits and starts at in-person events. It felt like a big family reunion, and many in attendance said the show marked the first time their whole teams had come together in two years.

“We had 55 appointments, whereas we usually book 35 to 40 at this show,” says Kevin Bosco, president of Bos. & Co., makers of a namesake brand, Fly London, Asportuguesas and Softinos. “And they’re coming more so from the Midwest and the Northeast, who used to not come here.” In addition to the broader geographical reach, Bosco reports that TASM drew buyers beyond its sit-and-fit base. The strong reaction to its trendier collections in Fly London and Bos & Co. served as proof. “It was a good show all around; we’re definitely pleased with the response to all our lines,” he says. “Our retail customers are coming off a very good year, and they were looking to buy.”

Bill Langrell, COO of Taos, concurs on good vibe and strong traffic. “Our appointment schedule was full, but what I didn’t anticipate was the amount of walk-ins we received,” he says. “We didn’t even know they were coming, and they came from all over the place.” Even better was the amount of new account interest. “Generally, we’re not receptive to that much, but we had a couple of compelling meetings that we’re definitely going to do,” he says, crediting the interest to Taos’ growing success. “We know our customer perfectly now, and we just keep building off that,” Langrell explains, adding that the effort now is to get a little younger. “We’re moving out of some core basic stuff and into a bit more fashion, but nothing too jarring. We move slow, which is a blessing and a curse. We don’t make big mistakes, but sometimes we take the long way to get their safely.”

Joe Pickett, co-owner of Casitas Footwear, distributors of Wonders, Toni Pons and Onfoot, attests to TASM’s broader buyer base. The success of Wonders, in particular, bore that out. “The brand has evolved from being more classic comfort looks to more sport-inspired, and some of our boots now feature big volume soles that are lightweight,” he says. “Our Southeast rep has developed a strong business with better-grade fashion comfort retailers, and the response to Wonders was fabulous.” Further evidence of TASM serving as more of a national show, Pickett adds, was the success of this fall market. “Historically, fall hasn’t been as big as the spring market here, because the Southeast traditionally isn’t a big boot market. But this show been really good for all our lines.”

Danny Wasserman of Tip Top Shoes in New York, who made the rounds with his son and daughter (Lester and Margot), said TASM had everything they were looking for—and then some. “There are more vendors here, and it’s easier to get here,” he says. Specifically, Wasserman was on the hunt for Jesus-like flat sandals—a trend he expects to be big this summer. Work brands were also on the agenda as the company is relaunching its

workshoes.com site. “We have to connect to work brands for dropship arrangements,” he says, adding that Tip Top’s online business is nearing 50 percent of total sales. “We think about our inventory much differently as a whole, because that customer comes from all over the country.” On that note, Sue Orischak, owner of Foot Solutions in Scottsdale, AZ, made the cross-country trek to meet with her many niche vendors. In particular, she was shopping several categories that are becoming important as the pandemic (hopefully) retreats. “The need for comfortable dress shoes for all the special occasions that were postponed,” she says is one, noting that the loss of Beautifeel has left a void that many vendors are scrambling to fill. “Now that customers have spent the past two years in sneakers and slippers, there’s little or no desire for uncomfortable dress shoes.” The other ongoing trend is athleisure, but now with interesting outsole treatments, zippers and unexpected pops of color. “The zippers are perfect for customers ready to travel again, and almost everyone is ready to travel the world or just nearby to see friends and family,” she says. TASM, in that way, is no different. Show Director Laura O’Brien, who is marking her 40th anniversary as head hostess this fall, believes that family atmosphere has been key to its long-running success. “The industry wants to come to Atlanta because it’s affordable and it’s easy,” she says, noting the floor plan exceeded the February 2019 edition, coming in at more than 800 exhibitors and 1,500-plus brands. (Last August saw 500 exhibitors.) That included the return of Ugg, Frye and Camuto Group leasing large store spaces Laura O’Brien, show director, TASM in the mall area. Buyer attendance was also up markedly, particularly from the Midwest, West Coast and internationally. “It was a huge bump in attendance overall,” O’Brien reports. “Our opening night party was packed, and people were just glad to be back together.” “This is the only national show now,” says Daniel Butler of Lines of Denmark, distributors of Ilse Jacobsen and Rollie, among others. “The show is busting at the seams and now attended by all the national chains. Plus, it’s very affordable for exhibitors.” Butler adds, “Our traffic was great. I have no complaints.” Langrell agrees on the affordability of TASM. “Atlanta, per dollar, has always been the best show for Taos, whereas the math to justifying the cost of Vegas was always tough,” he says. Lastly, TASM is no longer on the outskirts of town. Notably, the new Atlanta Braves stadium and The Battery—with its many restaurants, bars and shops—are a walk from the Cobb Galleria Centre. “You don’t have to leave the area for entertainment,” O’Brien says, citing consistency as another key aspect of the show’s success. “Our attendees know what to expect: a show that’s easy to work and just works” she says. “It’s a relaxing, family environment—we’ve never wanted the hoopla of Vegas.” Orischak, for one, is on the TASM train. “I appreciate the overall ease and convenience of the Cobb Galleria Centre,” she says. “The attached hotels make life easy, and there are many restaurants in proximity. I look forward to returning in August. This is clearly the rising national shoe show for so many awesome reasons.”

IR Show Debut a Success

DESPITE HEADWINDS SUCH as a new show, a new destination and the Covid-19 Omicron variant, the first-ever Innovative Retail (IR) Show in San Diego last month hit the ground running. Those in attendance at the San Diego Convention Center reported a resounding success.

“My sales team was jammed almost back-to-back the entire show,” reports David Kahan, CEO of Birkenstock Americas, citing the earlier timing (Feb. 1-3) as key. “It’s in our futures booking window, which made these true order writing sessions, so the time was highly productive. Show dates that fall beyond our order season become social events, and that’s ok, but for the time and energy, it’s far more productive when a show can meet the schedule of key brands.”

“IR was excellent for Ara,” reports Sam Spears, president of the German brand’s North American division. “The traffic was very good—we had many fixed appointments and several unexpected stop-ins.” Spears adds that the buyer attendance was impressive. “We met with high-quality retailers from the East Coast, Midwest and West Coast. The retailers represented were the best of the best.”

That included Tradehome Shoes, the 120-plus store chain headquartered in Minnesota. Justin Kehrwald, president and CEO, says IR delivered. “The show gave us an opportunity to see some brands that may not have been on our proverbial radar and to see physical samples from many brands that we only got to see virtually,” he says. “Additionally, with the early deadlines presented to us this year, IR gave us the chance to see some running changes to many of our accounts’ product lines and to shore up any possible gaps that we believed we had in our assortment.” Then there was the allure of San Diego, Kehrwald adds. “Being a Twin Cities-based company, it was nice to thaw out for a few days,” he says. “The airport is simple to fly in and out of, the convention center and hotels are nearby and the Gaslamp District has everything you need as far and restaurants and entertainment. Also, IR was set up to allow vendors and retailers to get their work done but also enjoy the camaraderie.”

Rich Rask, president of Rieker Shoe Corp., says IR hit on exactly what many wholesalers are looking for: a strong regional show. “Regional shows are more focused, easier to work and easier to attend for both retailers and sales teams,” he says. “We’ll definitely be back this August.”

Adam Beck, president of Beck’s Shoes, a 21-store comfort and work chain in seven western states, concurs on the ease of attending IR. “Everything was walkable—food, entertainment, convention center,” he says. “And the airport is close, which is a huge plus!” As for the business of buying, Beck says the show delivered. “We saw all the vendors, as well as many that we didn’t plan on,” he says. “A lot of people said it reminded them of the old WSA show, and I’d agree. I feel Atlanta (Shoe Market) and IR are going to be the future of shows.”

John Holden, director of merchandising for Sole Provisions, an 18-store

collection of comfort chains including Pegasus Footwear in New York, Alan’s Shoes in Arizona and Benjamin Lovell in Pennsylvania, says IR met its objectives. “We saw most of our important partners and reconnected with some from the past, as well,” he reports. “We even found a new brand. And we finalized some marketing objectives and mingled with industry friends.” Meeting objectives is music to IR Show Director Gary Hauss’ ears. The fact that many attendees reported an old WSA vibe was a cherry on top. “There’s always been a need to maintain a West Coast show presence,” he says, noting that the Atlanta show served as inspiration. “They’ve created a great show, and their attendance proves that people are ready to go back to shows. We hope that between Atlanta and IR, we can give our industry the much needed in-person shows.” On that note, Hauss believes IR’s under one roof, affordable, writing format were other factors contributing to its success. “Many brands reported that more retailers wrote more orders than any other show of late,” he says, adding that goal going forward is for IR to be a place for everyone to reconvene every six months to keep the industry moving forward. “The pandemic has made us all realize the importance of going back to the basics,” he says. “You don’t have to be the biggest, you just have to be the best. Our goal is to grow the show, but maintain our family feel. We encourage community over competition.” Most attendees believe San Diego is a key ingredient to IR’s recipe—starting with the fact that it’s not Las Vegas. “San Diego is easy to get to from anywhere, and the airport is only 10 minutes from Birkenstock, like many booths, were booked back-to- the convention center,” Hauss says. “The back with appointments throughout the IR Show. weather is ideal year-round, there are a ton of restaurants and hotels in walking distance to the convention center and the city has a laidback feel—very different from The Strip or the streets of New York.” Hauss, a retailer of 40-plus years, knows what he speaks of when it comes to walking trade shows. “We want to be sure our vendors are getting more bang for their buck and that retailers support their brands as well as be on the lookout for the next big thing,” he says. Kahan, a former WSA Show director from a past life, agrees that San Diego is a key draw. “Fantastic weather, easy travel location and no show buses, taxi lines or walking through casinos,” he says. “IR is a simple set-up, easy to work, lower costs and better timing.” Kahan adds, “We don’t need the bells and whistles of shows past. All a show has to do is offer a great venue that draws traffic so retailers can wok current vendors and be able to shop potential new ones.” It’s why Spears says Ara will be returning to IR in August. “One hundred percent yes we’ll be back, because of the quality of the retailers and the business we conducted,” he says. “And the venue couldn’t have been easier—from parking to schlepping samples to booth setup to tear-down… this is how a show should be run.”