LAS VEGAS -- The Winter 2024 Las Vegas Market unfolded as a center for buyers to discover a wealth of unparalleled sourcing opportunities, inspiring events and cutting-edge digital innovations. The five-day buying event welcomed retailers and designers from all 50 states and nearly 60 countries, providing a dynamic destination for discovering the new and now at World Market Center Las Vegas, Jan 28-Feb. 1, 2024.
“Las Vegas Market continues to be a major force in shaping west coast sourcing across the furniture, gift and home landscapes,” said Bob Maricich, ANDMORE CEO. “Buyers left the Winter 2024 Market with state-of-art sourcing, unrivaled networking and seminar- and trend-driven inspiration, signaling a fruitful business year ahead.”
High-End Home Furnishings Spark On-Trend Sourcing
Las Vegas Market celebrated the launch of B2’s high-end home furnishings remerchandising this January, marking a new destination for trend-forward sourcing and design-inspired resources.
With eight new and expanded better home brands – A.R.T. Furniture; Caracole; Four Hands; Hooker Furnishings; Jonathan Charles; Rowe; Sunpan; and Varaluz – filling B2 with buzzworthy collections, the concentration of these high-end resources rounded out Las Vegas Market furniture and home décor offerings, providing a multi-aesthetic, multi-price level nucleus to discover the best in home furnishings.
“It’s been 12 years since we exhibited at Las Vegas Market, and we’ve really become a designer-focused organization,” said Chris Miller, Rowe Furniture VP sales. “This market gives us the perfect platform to connect with west coast designers and provide them with an exceptional sourcing experience.”
Following the successful introduction of two new Las Vegas Market showrooms, Kenzie Redick, Hooker Furnishings VP marketing, interior design and brand management, commented, “In terms of the traffic and conversations we’ve had this week, this market has been one of our most successful. Our customers and designers are excited about what’s new, and we feel confident about the future of our showrooms here.”
Buyers were also beneficiaries in the dynamic reformatting of home furnishings at Las Vegas Market. “My brother and I came to this market, and we were able to open two new accounts during our visit,” said Steve Schwinn, buyer from Ironhorse Home Furniture (Benicia and Santa Cruz, CA). “The return of high-end brands to Market is definitely a highlight.”
Bedding Category Reports Firm Successes at Market
Some 100 bedding and mattress exhibitors at World Market Center Las Vegas delivered both tried-and-true and innovative offerings across the nation’s leading bedding buying destination.
“The first day of this Market was the busiest we’ve ever had in our 15+ years of exhibiting in Las Vegas,” said David Binke, King Koil CEO. “The momentum continued well into the week, so it’s safe to say the Market has been kind to us.”
Buyer attendance from mattress stores at the Winter Market increased from January 2023, establishing a year-over-year growth of the specialized mattress buyer base. Binke added, “We’re now forming relationships with top 100 accounts that have always been on our radar, so we continue to be committed to this space.”
The bedding industry witnessed wins outside of commerce during the buying event – WithIt’s 2024 WOW Visionary Award honored Barabara Bradford, CEO of Visionary Sleep, for her excellence, leadership and commitment to the bedding industry; and recognized Sarah Galimidi, Macy’s Omni Buyer-Mattresses, for leadership.
General and Seasonal Gift Exhibitors Dazzle West Coast Buyers
The Winter 2024 Las Vegas Market featured some 1,300 gift resources across seven floors of permanent showrooms, bringing a wealth of general and specialized gifts to buyers from every category. The Market welcomed seven new and expanded showrooms for the January Market.
“It’s been a real pleasure to see buyers coming to the Las Vegas Market in such great numbers,” Adriana de Mello, Keena principal. “The mood this week was so upbeat, which makes me feel confident about the first half of 2024.”
Newcomers to market reported standout successes as Las-Vegas-firsts solidified their decision to participate in the west coast market. In particular, the January buying event offered holiday brands access to a new seasonal buying audience.
“Las Vegas Market is unique. The Glitterville brand is all about that ‘wow’ factor, and it fits perfectly into the fabric of this Market,” said Stephen Brown, Glitterville creator. We’ve experienced a wonderful reception for our first Las Vegas Market and we’re definitely optimistic for the future.”
Transpac Brands’ four general and holiday décor channels discovered new opportunities with more buyers following an anticipated expansion. “The combination of bringing a new brand to life in this showroom and our prime location on the atrium has made the reaction from buyers exceptional this winter,” said Laurie Gilner, Transpac Brands president and CEO. “We’ve gotten so many new customers and the opportunities that have sprouted as a result are abundant.”
Temporary Exhibits Create Permanent Impact
The Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas showcased more than 450 brands across six categories: Design, Gift, Handmade, Home, Immediate Delivery and LUXE. New and returning brands noted commercial wins and strong industry connections across four days of temporary exhibits.
“It’s our first time at market, and we are thrilled to meet all the buyers and fellow exhibitors,” said Rami Khalaf, Kalifano. “There is such a wonderful sense of community and general buzz to this event, and it’s truly amazing to be part of it.”
Sammi Hill, founder of Mixologie, added, “As a southern brand that primarily services the southeast, Las Vegas Market really helps us get in front of major west coast accounts. I heard great things about the temps in Las Vegas, and I’m glad I took the leap of faith – 90% of the orders we’ve written at this market are from brand new buyers.”
Beyond exhibits, Las Vegas Market offered nearly 50 events, educational programs and daily amenities over five days of market. Highlights included: a standing-room only presentation from Las Vegas Market ( A ) Lister, Martyn Lawrence Bullard on the future of design innovation, a trend-driven seminar hosted by design mogul Patti Carpenter, the staple Market Kickoff Party and the WithIt WOW Awards.
@Market App Enhances At-Market Experience
ANDMORE’s @Market App returned to the Winter Las Vegas Market – on both Android and iOS devices – with enhanced capabilities for at-market sourcing and post-market follow-up.
App usage this winter was strong with nearly 80% of attendees logging into the app and 84% of those buyers using the exclusive Scan & Go feature on campus. @Market App users also quickly adopted the photo feature, allowing the app to easily organize and sort market finds after the buying event.
In January 2024, the top 10 showrooms by in-app photo count were industry heavy-hitters: Uttermost, Four Hands, Classic Home, Creative Co-Op, Accent Decor, Ashley Furniture, Ivystone, RAZ Imports, Inc., Mercana Furniture & Decor and Currey & Company.