The creative and talented Fredrick from Fab’rik unloaded amazing information to our retailers this morning to kick off the Market!

Let’s get straight to the information…

When setting your tabletop displays have the mindset of enticing your customer, selling a story and setting a scene. Pick your theme and go with it- all pieces should correlate back to the original “look” and be cohesive. Fredrick knows his customer well and develops his themes based on upcoming trends and what he knows his client is looking for.

Frederick stressed three main steps to setting the perfect style setting…

1. Balance the table: start with a blank canvas then pick a focal point (typically the most expensive item on the table) next play with scale, shades of similar colors and texture. At this point your table should be flat, but full of fashion.
2. Add Depth: roll up sleeves, cuff pant legs, hang belts from pants, etc. Layer different colored tanks with tops and always tuck a top under an outerwear piece. Tip- by showing the items together in unexpected and trendy ways; your customer is more likely to gravitate towards purchasing the entire look rather than just a singular piece. Jeans + Belt = Increased Sale!
3. Add height: this is your chance to show off your hot accessories. A great pair of heels stacked together, sexy flats staged on a display block, bring the eye up with a handbag that makes a statement and back down by layering bangles and necklaces in groups of three. For summer- a lovely sun hat and sexy “sunnies” will be items that move fast when well displayed.

Remember that table displays are your silent seller and should be changed out twice a week- or more. Integrate easy buys with higher priced item; your goal is to sell a look!

For to-the-minute fashions follow us on Twitter at @atlantaapparel & check back here as I blog LIVE from the Atlanta Apparel floors!

See you tomorrow!

-Amanda Macy Cheek

Here is a quick preview of Thursday’s fashion focused special events:

Increase the Impulse: Live Merchandising Demo

10-11 a.m. Floor 2, Center Stage

We are thrilled to have snagged the Visual Merchandising guru from Fab’rik  {Atlanta-based fashion boutique franchise…that is amazing!} to kick off our Merchandising Demonstration series. Grab some free breakfast and watch Frederick Morelli style accessories to increase impulse SALES! Bonus…I got an insider look at the featured accessories, and they are sure to be top Spring/Summer sellers!

Buyers- if you start your shopping on Thursday, make sure you hit up one of our tote bag giveaway events. Be one of the first to snag the hottest freebie at Market that will definitely look hot on your shoulder! {Check out registration signage and your Apparel Guide for details}

A Stylish Soiree

5:30-6:30 p.m. Floor 9

By this time you will probably be ready for a cocktail, specialty snacks and more shopping! Floor 9 is the place to be for a lavish complimentary cocktail party. The floor will be ready to party with free drinks, delectable foods, a live DJ and…a photo booth! Enjoy the fun- and tweet your pictures to us at @atlantaapparel

We know that our Atlanta Apparel customers aren’t quite ready to stop the party at 6:30 p.m…So, we will all be heading down the street to Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint to continue the party and start this market off right! Juke Joint is about 2 blocks away and well worth the walk. Their food is southern-ly scrumptious and I have been eyeing their drink list all week. Pimms + Lemonade classic potable or the Fresh Watermelon Aya Tini martini? Decisions….decisions…

+ It wouldn’t be an Apparel Market without fashion shows! Catch the catwalk events at Noon and 4 p.m. daily on the floor 2 center stage.

For to-the-minute fashions follow us on Twitter at @atlantaapparel & check back here as I blog LIVE from the Atlanta Apparel floors!

See you tomorrow!

-Amanda Macy Cheek

For the next five days I will blogging LIVE from our February Atlanta Apparel Market! As a part of our AmericasMart Marketing team, I am excited to bring you a behind-the-scenes look at the new trends and fashions. Plus, I will be attending all of our exciting events and seminars…and of course, reporting back to you with all the good information!

Get a head start and check out americasmart.com/apparel for line listings, showroom/booth locations and event schedules!

See you at Market tomorrow!

Amanda Macy Cheek

Come see what the bloggers are saying about Atlanta Apparel! Or just stop in for some refreshments, a place to sit down and relax or log in to catch up on what’s going on back home while you’re at market.

The blogger’s lounge is sponsored by Yepser, a Social Media/Internet Strategy Company that can help you build and market your brand through digital media. Find the lounge in Building 3, Floor 9, Southwest Quadrant, Showroom 354

To discover the latest in contemporary and designer fashions, don’t miss the evolving Temporary collections on Floors 2, 3 and 4. With 50 percent more exhibitors than February 2011, the Temps offer boundless opportunities to expand into new lines.

Check out hot fashions from labels including Robins Jeans, Brian Lichtenberg, Matt and Nat, Beija-Flor Jeans, Minnie Rose, Cambio, Repeat Cashmere, Magaschoni, Mavi, Elaine Turner, Dolce Vita, Old Gringo, Renee C, Ark and Co, Via Spiga, Free Endearment, Calvin Klein Performance, Fresh Produce, ZAD, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Minuet, Miilla, Marrakech Clothing, Go Silk, Grace Hats, By Phillipe Illia, Darling and MUCH MORE.

Temporaries are open February 2-4 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and February 5 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Full Market information is always available online.

A coveted award that has only been given out three times over the years was presented to David Harounian, a principal of Harounian Rugs International. The surprise of the evening was that Jeff Portman welcomed to the stage Lucille Laufer (Executive Director at Oriental Rug Importers Association) and Gene Newman (a retired importer/wholesaler of Oriental Rugs [owner of Noonoo Rug Co.] and Managing Director, EDEN Consulting Group, Ltd.) to present the ORIA Award to Chas Sydney, former senior vice president of AmericasMart leading the rug franchise.

Emcees Lynne Russell (former anchor on CNN Headline News ) and Chas Sydney announced the winners one by one in classic product categories such as Handmade, Hand-Knotted and Power-Loomed and in two new categories: Indoor/Outdoor and Licensee. The area rug winners—selected from the Museum of Introductions (MOI) gallery by an independent panel of renowned tastemakers—were announced and presented by AmericasMart. Click here to see all of the winners.

“Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy” - Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute

Whether you’re looking for a quick infusion of color into a traditional pattern or a jolting pop for a new paint color, this hue can work across channels – home, gift and apparel. Look for it to be used as a component in the more vibrant interior design options slowly emerging in the home category as well as an immediate infusion into fashion, from staple pieces to accessories.

AmericasMart exhibitors already had myriad options available at the January 2012 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market® to ensure retailers can be at the forefront of what’s “new” for their customers. From full groups in soft goods to accent case goods to lighting to decorative accessories, showrooms showed off brilliant displays, sometimes complete orange-toned settings and sometimes a burst of bold color in a traditional product.

Whatever’s happening in design – it’s at AmericasMart, from color to style.

The Kitchen Inspiration Gallery included five high-style, inspirational kitchen vignettes featuring Kitchen & Housewares as well as Living & Entertaining: Gifts, Tabletop & Accessories products from a variety of exhibitors. Located in Building 2, near AmericasMart’s state-of-the-art Demonstration Kitchen, buyers could see a variety of styles: casual family, formal elegance, traditional European, modern oasis and metropolitan wet bar.

The vignettes supported AmericasMart’s position as a leader in the Gourmet & Housewares segment with more than 400 of the top lines, representing  the industry’s best. As consumer demand grows, the nation’s premier global market continues to entice premium brands to be part of the product center.

Vignettes were sponsored by Founders Kitchen & Bath, Blanco, Cowan Plumbing Supply, Delta, DuPont Corian, Cosentino Silestone, Dacor Appliances and Top South Countertops. 

We saw so many amazing visual displays in the showrooms during the January 2012 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market! Each showroom has a different feel, and you could sense the amount of passion behind the creation of each one. The ambience of each showroom starts with visual display. That’s why it’s important to recognize the use of creativity, space, product placement, signage, flooring and lighting with AmericasMart’s Visual Display Awards (VDAs). This year’s winners blew us away with their fantastic displays!

The VDA winners were selected by an independent panel of design and display experts with decades of combined industry experience. Find out who won and see some of the award-winning displays from the 2012 January Market. What was the spectacular Best of Show booth? Drumroll please…

We know from experience in the loss prevention field that there are many reasons that employees steal.  Greed, want and need are all reasons. We as employers can do little to effect these reasons. The best we can do is screen out potential problems such as candidates with  criminal histories; candidates that have a poor credit history who may be handling our money; and drug abusers top the list.

But what are the CAUSES of employee theft? In the 2010 Global Fraud Study by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the leading primary internal control weakness is…”Lack of Internal Controls”. In organizations with less than 100 employees it amounts to 47% (for those with over 100 employees, the percentage is 33.7). There is not even a close second.

Keep in mind that this cause is something that we as business leaders have complete control over. Yet businesses appear to do little – or clearly not enough – to protect the fragile margins we have. I believe that there are two reasons for this.

Number one is that it seems, in many cases, that there is a lack of strong leadership. The kind of leadership that people understand and respect. An understanding by employees at all levels that the company has strong controls in place which will not, under any circumstances, be violated. The violation of these procedures will be met with strict and immediate punishment at all levels. This draws a line in the sand.

Number two is that even when that line in the sand is drawn we find it too hard or we are too busy to maintain it. Because of this, that line in the sand is quickly washed away by the waves. We then find ourselves a year later scratching our heads trying to make sense of why another serious employee theft or series of employee theft incidents have occurred. It is imperative for the sake of your business that you set procedures in place and maintain them constantly.

Want to get employee theft under control once and for all? Make your line in the sand a granite wall with no compromise that the waves will not affect.

To learn more please stop by our Employee Theft seminar on Thursday, January 12 at 10:30 a.m. in Building 1, Floor 10, and Seminar Room #1002