NY – Now that the New York Home Fashions Market’s autumn edition has largely concluded, the difficult task of attempting to position programs starts.
Business is challenging. Value, regardless of a product’s position on the good, better, or best ladder, is its defining characteristic. When it comes to the volume of merchandise they accept, the majority of shops are still cautious. These elements have been present for a while.
Here are five things I noticed while perusing the market.
Tariffs: With the US presidential election in a few weeks, there was a significant chance that the Trump government would significantly raise current tariffs and impose new ones. According to suppliers, they are looking into Taiwan and Vietnam as alternative sourcing locations, but they don’t think there are any simple answers. When they can, some are trying to nudge some business from China into Pakistan or India. The main drawbacks of “emerging” options include higher production costs and longer lead times, higher freight costs, and occasionally uneven quality. Things are going to become ugly if tariffs are implemented because there isn’t going to be a “new China” anytime soon.
Brands: Brand houses are out shopping their labels, suppliers are teasing them, and retailers are searching for them. However, a few crucial queries come up. To begin with, what distinguishes a genuine brand from a trademark, and is a retail nameplate such as Linens ‘n Things a legitimate brand? (Yes, I did spoken with a few vendors who have received offers to use the LNT label.) Second, how much have brand IP owners changed their minimum and royalty expectations to take into consideration the small number of large volume clients available for placement? (Sources respond that some have and some haven’t to question #2.)
AI: I was first exposed to a few instances of suppliers incorporating AI into their daily operations. The production line’s quality control, coming up with creative concepts, and cutting the price of packaging insert mock-ups were a few examples. The QT was used for the majority of the talks. Lush Decor is the only business that I am aware of that is genuinely generating buzz about their use of AI.
Bamboo: Retailers are requesting more bamboo, I was told, despite the FTC’s stringent restrictions about its labeling for textiles. Consumers find the concept of bamboo to be quite appealing. For individuals who are unfamiliar with the labeling standards, take caution. The FTC is likely not hesitant to challenge major merchants’ claims about bamboo products, as it has done in the past.
pleasantly surprising Put these under “long time absence” questions. in the phrase “everything old is new again.”
- Nylon shells for standard bedding appear to have been around for a while. Three locations were where I saw them (occasionally with an added cooling benefit). However, HealthCare Consumer Products was the only company to highlight the structure.Luxurious travel and sleeping pillows with calming cosmetic hues and silky nylon shells. Their touchability was addictive.
- Department stores used to carry a lot of bedding assortments that included jacquard woven sheets. It wasn’t until last week at market that I realized just how long they had been out of the picture. While Yunus USA has brought the building back to life in all of its luxurious splendor, Micro Cotton is giving the idea a geometric twist.
It remains to be seen how everything turns out. However, regardless of the conditions, the new New York market will emerge in barely half a year.
