Some exhibitors at MAGIC apparel show report sales jumps

The careening mood swings that have characterized the stock market in the past couple of weeks have intruded into the day-to-day economy as well.

As the giant MAGIC apparel show concluded on Wednesday, exhibitors reported widely differing results as retail store buyers tried to calibrate orders to expected customer demand. Even within similar categories or price ranges, some vendors saw better days coming soon while others braced for the second act of a double-dip recession.

"The show went well for us," said Cindy White, wholesale sales manager for Henderson-based Tatyana LLC, which makes the Bettie Page line of women's clothing. "We were getting new customers and the size of the orders from existing customers was up. If they ordered $20,000 before, they ordered $40,000 this time."

Another agreed.

"It's a lot busier than it was in February," said Eric Tokanel of Life is Good, which makes T-shirts with upbeat themes that retail for $22 to $36.

But David Masur, president of Montvale, N.J.-based Freeman International, saw a marked deterioration compared with the previous MAGIC show last winter.

"In February, people came here upbeat," said Masur, whose company makes moderately priced casual and dress men's shoes. "They knew we weren't out of the storm, but they could see some daylight. Now it's much different."

July had been a difficult month in retail as various headwinds, including sharply higher gasoline prices, took their toll on spending, he said. Also, as the value of the dollar has fallen, Masur expects prices for shoes and clothing to escalate because much of them are imported.

"Overall, demand is looking soft," he said.

After closing with a thinner order book than she had hoped for, Anna Alvarez of Palomares Apparel only half-jokingly predicted that recovery would come in three years.

"2014 is going to be beautiful," she said.

The company makes women's faux leather jackets that stop at the waist, wholesaling for $10 to $21.

Others fell into the middle ground,

"For us, it has been steady but nothing really to get excited about," said Ivan Tampi, accounts manager for Aussie Boots Australia. The retail prices for the women's boots run from about $200 to $1,000 a pair.

Sales of Lili Leather Collection handbags went well, said sales rep Shervin Arastoozad, but they weren't booming.

"I think the mood is up a bit, people are buying," he said. "But they are being selective; a little conservative."

He said the upswing may be happening because retailers have held lean inventories for so long that they have to open their checkbooks.

"They have got to fill their stores up," he said. "They need product to sell."

The show, produced by Advanstar Communications of Santa Monica, Calif., said it had not yet compiled an attendance number. Generally, it attracts about 75,000 participants twice a year, making it one of the largest in Las Vegas and sprawling across both the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Contact reporter Tim O'Reiley at toreiley@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290.