Bailey Boys

On Floor 13, AmericasMart’s Children’s World showrooms stayed busy as retailers restocked inventories depleted by a good holiday sales season.

Monogramming is still popular, but it’s taking different forms other than traditional initials. There are more creative options. If you don’t want to invest in equipment for your store, partner with a trusted local business so you can offer the service to your customers, then present interesting alterantives for monogramming.  

Zackali 4 Kids

Sometimes on its own, sometimes paired with a bright accent color, black & white was prominent both in clothing and juvenile

MissTeeVUs

accessories. Maybe it’s driven by more “dad-friendly” items or maybe it’s the next generation of parents looking for a cleaner, crisper look, but there are many products on the scene.

The Klein Group

Almost anything collegiate still sells, in almost any region of the country as alums want new ways to show their allegiance as they become parents. Bright and funky is also still popular for customers looking for alternatives to more traditional pastels in childrenswear, especially anything reminscent of the 1960s and Woodstock.

Larry Lucas

Industry veteran Larry Lucas says he’s seen at least three downturns in his long career, though none quite as severe as last year. However, he sees definite signs of recovery and was up significantly over January 2009. “Many people ran out of merchandise during a strong holiday season so they need to build inventory again,” he says. “They were shopping and writing good orders for a variety of lines.”

Denise Hostetler of The Klein Group reports their showroom was busy in spurts throughout the weekend, but wrote good orders with their steady customers. Richard Holzheimer of Zackali 4 Kids says they saw return customers, but also had several new buyers come in who are either looking for new lines or opening new stores – always a good sign for the business.