Comments on: RetailSpeaks IQ: What do you think about vendors skipping NSS?

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:08:22 +0000

Everything depends how thrift you are, and how many people you take with you.
I usually go SOLO.
On My very first Trade show in Americasmart Atanta I did spend 10k paying for the space alone $2700. least expensive motel $50/ night 12 miles south from downtown. (Having car with you saves you money)
For example I never take a plane since cost of gas for example 750 miles from Chicago to Atlanta at $2/g is about = $150 both ways and cover cost of shipping myself and merchandise etc.
I never went to a restaurant / No time for that plus ($50 or so per meal can set you back really quickly) Plus after so many hours on your feet in your booth, your only desire is to take some rest.
Exhibitor next to me she did spend over 30k for Atlanta and NY gift show that year.
Everything depends how thrift you are, and how much YOU CAN spend.
Trip to Texas where I was showing my wares during one florist show set me back $900 where I paid about $500 for the space plus the gas and motel. Very cheap. – plus I heard from one fellow that he did the distance in one day – 1200 miles so having desire to do the same I started 5am to be there at 11pm. I prefer to drive. Opportunity to see this country plus I remember this trip very well since it was only show where I did not sell anything. 4 years ago in Texas everybody was in survival mode already.

By: Trina

Trina — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:29:57 +0000

As a store owner who pays for two of us to attend the Stationery Show, I can tell you we spend a lot more than ‘a couple of hundred for a trip and hotel.’ Between airfare, hotel, and meals, our Saturday afternoon-Wednesday night show trip costs $2,500 at a minimum (and we share a room in mid-range hotels).

Is it worth it? Of course, otherwise we would never make this kind of sacrifice in money and time away from the store (did I mention that during the five days we’re gone our sales drop?). We need to see new product, we need to be inspired, we need to find paper, paper, and more paper, and this is the show we need to attend.

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:07:54 +0000

I think fact that reps exist is partly due to fact that buyers in bigger stores have layers of protection against anybody trying to contact them.
If the owner is not behind the counter chances to sell to them are very slim. Existence of reps. I think is answer to this situation. They cash on fact that they are known already to buyers. Shows especially now are very expensive to attend. In order to pay for Atlanta ($3500 for a booth + other expenses )I have to sell over 2000 of my pop-ups at $2.5 wholesale. With $150 minimum order it means 24 new clients just to pay my expenses. If I do them myself with 2000 average monthly output (there is a lot of labor) it means that of course I am paying my expenses but not making any money for about a month. It means that trade shows expenses actually we should double to cover time spend on preparations etc. With sales everywhere down the drain going to the show now in my understanding would be more like suicidal knowing that most retailers afraid of risk sticks now to already tested vendors and merchandise. Why should I take the risk now? My situation is unique since I have to postpone start of my new venture. If I would be in the business , already few years down the road I think my point of view could be different. From retailer point of view there is couple hundred to spend for a trip and hotel. For exhibitor the expenses are much much higher. I know people who never ever went to any Trade shows to sell their merchandise. plus Recently I was reading survey among Canadian retailers where big percentage never goes to any trade shows. From my experience when I was living in another country (runing photographic studio) after each big prices jump people stopped their spending for about 3 months and than resumed their spending even with higher current pricing. American customer is much more skittish so the slump is likely to last much longer. After first moments of panic things should pick up again. The big question is what is going happen now with feds diluting value of dollar in order to print more money and “?help” the economy. How big inflation is going affect us. We all going face new reality.

By: Susan Kipple

Susan Kipple — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:59:41 +0000

Like Jan, I feel the Stationery Show is a necessity for my store. Before the economy took a downward turn, we were already frustrated by the ease with which most reps would sell to our local competition, even after assuring us we would be protected as customers who placed frequent, sizable orders. Now that times are tough, they seem to be even more desperate to sell to anyone who has a dollar, making the problem even worse.

The only way around that is to go around them, direct to the manufacturers. When I go to a show, I am able to find lines that aren’t heavily represented in my area, which allows me to remain fresh and relevant in my community. If I rely on reps and big showrooms, I not only miss out on the neat, unknown companies but end up with the “same old same old” as every other store in town.

By: Jan

Jan — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:05:41 +0000

Wendy’s point is the reason we DO go to the stationery show. In our case, I’m speaking mostly of the ‘off the shelf’ product, rather than custom. I am tired of buying from reps who show the same things to every store they can find, and all of a sudden the unique items we try hard to find, are everywhere. We may find something at the show that others in the area also find and purchase, but at least with however many vendors are there, our odds are better that we’ll find something our competitors overlooked. We debated going to the show this year, because we don’t have a lot of extra money to spend – just going to the show, as well as purchases at the show – but it’s our best chance to find vendors we wouldn’t otherwise know about! We’ll be there!

By: Wendy Solganik

Wendy Solganik — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:18:51 +0000

First, I just want everyone out there to know that we at Luscious Verde are big fans of the NSS. But, over the past 8 years in this industry, we have never exhibited. We sell only custom invitations, announcements and social stationery and not off-the-shelf product. A major reasons that we have made this decision time and time again is the sheer relief in our customer’s voices when we tell them that we will not be exhibiting. They are always so happy because it means that Luscious Verde will not be “out there” at the show for all of their competitors to pick up for their stores. I’m wondering what all of you retailers who have weighed in on this issue think of this . . .

By: Jack

Jack — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:53:38 +0000

I got answer to my question. Yesterday going by local Deli I was thinking that last time I was inside was quite few years ago when the lady behind the counter was trying to sell to me some not so good quality food. After that it never crossed my mind to go inside again. Same attitude like with my ornaments, some people are trying to push out bad merchandise first hiding better one so it will not compete. Simply lack of common sense. They are pushing themselves out of business.

By: Donna

Donna — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:38:55 +0000

As a first time vendor attending NSS this year, I’m excited to read all these comments. This is a sacrifice for us — all the cash we have plus more — to go to the show. We have shopped the Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago gift marts (we have a shop of our own), but never New York. New York is expensive. But we have come to the conclusion that the only way to sell anything is to go where the buyers are and it seems that NSS is the optimal place with educated, saavy buyers. We’ve cut every corner we can think of and our booth will be made mostly of imagination and ingenuity instead of the best money can buy. But then again, isn’t that what we’re trying to convey anyway? We’ll be in New York with a definite sense of adventure. Thank you for your comments!

By: Heather van Breda | Real Card Studio

Heather van Breda | Real Card Studio — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:43:27 +0000

I’ve been pretty set that I am not going to have a booth at NSS this year. But Cinda just put a bug in my ear, and now I don’t know what to do!

The reasons I would do the show would be to:
A) connect with current dealers
B) sell more of our stationery albums to new and current dealers
C) pick up new stores in markets that we haven’t tapped

The reasons I decided I would wait a year:
1) Given the economy, I assume that high end custom lines are not going to be very popular buys this year (our invite packages average $3000 per order retail)
2) I don’t have anything new that my current dealers would not have already seen either last year or received as free updates if they’re current.
3) I don’t think we’d break even this year. Last year we were inundated with interest from markets that we are saturated in, and only entered 1 or 2 new markets. I can’t keep picking up new stores in NY and other dense markets, so I wouldn’t break even on sales at the show.

So here’s my question to retailers– is anyone (Kansas, Missouri, South Carolina) in any market, shopping for high end stationery and invitation albums this year? And for our current dealers, how much would we benefit from the face time? Is the show really where you decide who you’ll work with, or if I keep in contact with my dealers, won’t that remind you we’re here?

Help me decide! : )

By: jack

jack — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:27:36 +0000

I am reading your comments being new vendor who just started month ago. During this month I was able to secure 3 reps with showrooms in Chicago, Denver and in Massachuset. So far no sales, as they report slow traffic. I am told that they may sell on the road. I have problem communicating with them since they need samples etc to make it happen.
Reps are reps and dealing with them can be quite frustrating since they always have their own agenda. If not additional financial investment I got last Friday I would not even bother asking myself this question. Go to NSS or not. Finances are too tight. Spending in excess of $3,000 and have too few sales? Reading your blog I am trying justifying the expense. I was much quicker few years ago when I started line of Glass Christmas Ornaments. Right after the war in Iraq started orders went down. During the year when Bush was elected second time I was selling only glass flowers (new product) and first orders for ornaments I got after election in October November. Normally they should be placed in January and delivered September , October (the latest) As I was told by few people they were afraid to buy thinking that there is going some kind of disturbance in US etc. Scared like most people are right now. Most of my previous retailers are out of business. I checked to see if I can start selling to them my new (invention) product.
Digging myself in financial hole is not my favorite thing, and regardless of the fact that I have new revolutionary product (3d greeting cards etc) remembering last few years I just wonder if better be cautious with my spending. More cautious than ever before. Last few years in downward spiraling economy is something to think about.
What I see is negative approach to vendors concerned about their financial well being and doing decisions about it. NSS send in December couple of e-mails referring to apparently big trend of people cancelling their participation in the show. I got phone call in January from salesperson talking about payment plan. (Do you remember the newspaper headlines about the banks) Looking at the numbers I see 1350 exhibitors last year and 1100 in 2009.
The question I am facing go now or year later?
The positive things I see that for some of you this is the only and most important show.