Retail Buyers: Plan Your August Show

We are looking forward to welcoming our retail buyers to the next New England Apparel Show, which takes place August 29-31, 2022. (Note – this is a Monday through Wednesday show.)

As you prepare to see your reps, and shop Spring trends, we’ve outlined the top three tips to get the most out of your show.

1. Set Goals for Your Show

Is there are particular category that’s doing especially well in your store? Are you looking to find new brands in that category that your customers haven’t yet seen? Or maybe you want to network with other retail buyers and hear what is working for them?  Maybe you want to add new accessory lines, footwear, or jewelry to your offerings.

Start by downloading the complete list of brands and reps attending. You can access that here. Then download the floorplan and start mapping your show. In August, most sportswear reps can be found in the 100-400 and 800 aisles, with most accessory reps in aisles 500-700, with footwear reps showing throughout the Expo Center.

With your goals in mind, you can use the brand listing and map to confirm appointments, and plan your walk throughout the show. We recommend walking all of the aisles – you never know what exciting new product you might find from a rep you haven’t worked with in the past!

In fact, take some time to browse all the brands in the show (with photos/descriptors) here, then look them up on the alphabetical listing.

2. Take Notes and Photos

Retail buyers do what they do because they love fashion. Buying with your heart can get out of hand if you don’t have a system. Make sure you’re organized about buying.  Take a hard copy of each and every order (we get many calls from buyers who can’t remember what they bought, or from which rep); write notes about each appointment, and take pictures of the items you decide to buy.  That way, you can look at your product mix as you shop, and you don’t end up with three similar black tops when merchandise starts arriving!

3. Pre-Plan Logistics

You can avoid check-in lines by pre-registering to attend the show. If you haven’t yet registered as a retail buyer, take a minute to do so here.

You can find directions to the hotel here. Concessions will be open for lunch from 11 am – 3 pm daily, and there is always coffee available for sale. In addition, we provide snacks on the show floor each afternoon.  You won’t leave hungry and you’ll have plenty of energy for buying!

See You Soon!

We are looking forward to seeing our retail buyers at the end of August.  We’ll be showing more than 700 brands over 30,000+ square feet of exhibit space. We have no doubt you’ll find something new and exciting for your customers.

NEAC’s membership represents nearly 1000 clothing, accessory, footwear and gift brands. The New England Apparel Show brings them all together to provide a one-stop-shop for boutique owners and retail buyers. View our August 2022 show details here and pre-register as a buyer. We can’t wait to see you August 29-31 (this is a Monday – Wednesday show.)