Market Report- Chicago
By Kathleeen McHugh
January 25, 2008 — On assignment for colleague Maria Weiskott, I attended my first major gift show this weekend, The Chicago Market: Living & Giving, at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. My office is just around the corner from the Mart, so I’ve had plenty of opportunity (food court) to wander the main floor of this landmark building. But nothing prepared me for what’s upstairs, and I quickly discovered that my shoe choice (trendy heels) was inappropriate for the assignment, which was to cover miles of showrooms, on floor after floor. Shopping the Mart was quite different from my usual territory of toy and game shows.
After meeting with the Mart sales staff and being briefed on what was located where, I started walking the halls. It was a quiet Friday afternoon when I started out, so getting in and out of showrooms was easy. Spotting a trend might be a little harder for a neophyte like me; the only tool I had at my disposal was a trained eye for what I like.
Walking into Arteriors Home in the Creative Visions showroom, I immediately felt nostalgic for the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. (I guess I span a few decades.) Everything on display seemed from another era, but presented with an updated twist, such as retro colors on new lamps and chandeliers sporting colored crystal. Orange, avocado green, turquoise blue — the colors of my childhood were made fresh again.
At Kenneth Ludwig, I found Kenneth behind the bar of his entertainment center preparing for the evening’s cocktail hour. His showroom was brimming with updated tableware and glassware with great graphic designs from the past. The 200,000-square-foot showroom, located in the Mart’s new Market Square Chicago on the 15th floor, taps into the growing demand for unique, on trend, accessible home accents and furnishings. The floor offers a selection of upholstery, lighting, wall decor, furniture, home accessories, textiles, floor coverings, bedding, drapery, mirrors and more.
I love kid and baby stuff, so it’s no surprise that Elegant Baby grabbed my attention with wonderfully fun children’s lines sporting polka dots on everything from piggy banks to baby hats. My First Rubber Duckie gets a fresh coat of paint and the attention of new moms by wearing trendy colors, stripes and polka dots, all packaged in clear boxes. The company notes also that the products are Phthalate-free, citing a recent concern about banning the substance in children’s products.
That’s it from Chicago! Thank you to Chicago Merchandise Mart sales staff for taking this gift newbie around the floors.
(Editor’s Note: This market report is written by Kathleen McHugh, Chicago-based president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA). No stranger to trade shows and market events, McHugh successfully launched a specialty toy show for ASTRA several years ago to coincide with the organization’s annual June “Marketplace & Academy.” Since its inception, the event has enjoyed exponential growth, as the number of exhibiting toy vendors and retail support companies increases each year. McHugh and Gifts & Dec editor Maria Weiskott met during Weiskott’s tenure at GDA’s sister publication, Playthings, and often shared the podium at toy industry events.)
