NEW YORK— The summer edition of NY Now allowed vendors to showcase giftable tabletop and home goods for the holiday season.
Providing gifts that could suit men were high on vendors’ lists at the summer market. For example, Rolf Glass added a new ice bucket SKU to its assortment to suit the male recipient and beyond said Paula Johnson, Rolf’s creative art director. “With whiskey distilleries, it’s not just beer anymore,” she said, about the continued evolution of the craft beverage movement.
Retailers are also drawn to anything craft cocktail oriented, said Darcy Bruce, Sertodo Copper’s social media, marketing and office manager. Consumers seem to be interested in making their own cocktail concoctions, and those who can afford it are bringing in more professional bartenders to create craft cocktails at parties.
Anything that would make great men’s gifts was also popular at the show, added Bruce, such as copper flasks or copper trays. Although, she pointed out, the company’s newest flask features a round shape, which could be perceived as a more feminine gift.
Products to help consumers make the perfect cocktail or wine drink were prevalent at NY Now, everything from ready made cocktail mixes to aerators.
Ryan Kelly, vp/sales for W&P Design, showcased a new marble look to its Peak line of silicone ice molds for different types of drinks and glassware.
The company also highlighted giftable knives, providing the customer an alternative to cutlery presented in a more utilitarian manner, such as its Bartender’s, Picnic and Cheese Knives. The latter won Best in Market in the NY Now Best New Product Awards.
Many vendors reported that it
was slower than the winter 2017 NY Now market.
“Traffic is definitely slower, the account base for independents is shrinking. However, the people that are here are more apt to buy,” said Joe Visotski, vp/sales, Pampa Bay.
Rolf’s Johnson added, “It’s slow, but we’re getting new accounts, that’s why we are here.” The company added new accounts along the East Coast, including CT, MA, and SC, she said.
“This is our first summer show we’ve done in a while, and we’re pleasantly surprised,” added Kevin Couts, business development, True Brands, at the amount of orders and foot traffic compared to other summer shows.
“We’re pleasantly surprised to see so many customers,” said Jim Mylonas, vp/gm Lenox crystal and metal, Gorham and Dansk tableware.
Other companies found the show a key factor for launching growth platforms for their young brands.
“This show was good for me. My clientele are here. There a lot of designers and boutiques. They are looking for anchor pieces,” said Rami Izadyar, marketing and brand director, Elleffe Design. Consumers are also looking for multi-functional pieces that could do double duty as a centerpiece or other home décor as well as serveware, said Izadyar. The brand just launched in the U.S. in early 2016.
“NY Now is a good way to meet buyers,” said Jackie Kim, founder, Twig New York, and to further build the three years’ young brand.
Kim also mentioned that she had a lot of international customers stop by, including from Canada, Japan and Colombia.
Katherine Tucker, who launched her Alabama-made Civil Stoneware tableware at the show, expressed excitement at the summer NY Now, saying that in addition to those being interested in an American-made movement domestically, she saw international customers interested in the brand as well.
For 10-month-old company Que bottle, who launched at last summer’s NY Now, the brand got to meet smaller accounts this show, with museum shops such as the Smithsonian showing interest in the collapsible water bottle brand.
Also having her first trade show debut at the summer NY Now was artist Karen Anderson of Solveig Studio, showcasing her whimsical animals on plates and platters. Each character is featured with his or her own biography.