Georgia on my buying mind

The Gardens at AmericasMart. Recipe: Take three high-rise buildings in the heart of the Georgia’s most accessible city. Fill them for about a week in January with companies representing 4,000 lines in 33 categories. Add more than 90,000 attendees from all 50 states and as many as 90 countries and what do you have? AmericasMart Atlanta Gift and Home Furnishings Show. The 2015 Market runs from Jan. 6 to Jan. 13, and temporaries are open Jan. 8 through Jan. 12.

Daunting can be an understatement to describe this behemoth of a wholesale gift show opening this week, but it doesn’t have to be. Armed with nine navigational essential ingredients, a garden center buyer can make it a enriching, enjoyable and ultimately profitable experience.

1. Don’t leave home without it

Have a game plan. This show is too massive to wander aimlessly. Come prepared with a list of merchandise categories important to your retail operation. Study the AmericasMart Buyers Guide and the detailed color-coded maps of each floor, and write down locations of your targeted exhibitor booths.

Knowing your inventory levels in advance and how much you can afford is a key open-to-buy strategy. Attending AmericasMart is beneficial if you have a specific buying mission and maintain your budget.

Bring your photo ID, business cards, copies of banking/credit references (for orders with new vendors), calculator, a pinch of discernment, and a heaping spoonful of patience (for planning tools and other required documents see www.AmericasMart.com)

2. Forget fashion

Dress for comfort – especially shoes. While there are escalators galore, you will still be walking and standing most of the day.

Atlanta, albeit south, is not Orlando. January can be downright cold in Georgia (and those proverbial rainy nights). This week’s forecast calls for temperatures no higher than 55 degrees and a sprinkle of 30- to 40-degree days. Don’t waste suitcase space with pool attire.

Changes in room temperatures are unavoidable considering you are in three different downtown buildings. Buyers should bring a sweater for morning shopping in some portions of the “Mart.” Once inside, buyers shouldn’t have to venture out again until closing as the three buildings are inter-connected via enclosed sky-bridges towering as high as 14 floors above the city traffic below.

3. Booth basics

AmericasMart is divided into permanent and temporary exhibitor booths. The 1,400 “permanent” showrooms are open year round by invitation, but during Market, all booths are open to registered buyers. Of particular interest to garden centers is “The Gardens,” two full floors of outdoor themed yard art, wind chimes, bird feeders and more. The Gardens are located in Building 2, floors 9 and 10.

“Temporaries,” popular with garden center buyers, are where you will often find new companies and merchandise. These booths are set up just for show dates, and then dismantled.

Exhibitors are grouped by “like” items so buyers can easily navigate 33 primary product categories. Research in advance any unfamiliar categories (i.e. High Design, Coastal Lifestyle).

4. Early eats

Alter your eating schedule. There are ample food concessions in all three buildings, however, thousands of buyers swarming the counters at noon create long lines and scarce seating. Go early and avoid the rush.

Likewise, when it comes to dinner, restaurants within walking distance of the Mart tend to be pounced upon by buyers at about 5:30 p.m. Don’t wait until after the show closes at 6 p.m., as multitudes of exhibitors added to the mix lessens chances of finding a place with reasonable wait times.

5. Roller derby

The normally adequate elevator operations within the AmericasMart’s campus strain during January show days. On the other hand, numerous escalators, centrally located in each building, and are always moving. However, most of them are too narrow for larger rolling pull carts. A rolling briefcase is handy for toting your paperwork, tablet, Buyers’ Guide, and water bottle, but if it is more than 16 inches wide you might confine your access to elevators only. Luggage Check stations are located throughout the campus.

Exchange cell phone numbers in advance. Despite AmericasMart being a well-organized show with abundant signage, one can become separated from companions.

6. Top down strategy

A proven navigational plan is to map out each floors and booths you plan to visit in each building. Then take the elevator to the highest floor of the vendors you want to see, staying focused on just that building. Using the escalators, when you’re ready to move on, descend to other desired vendor floors throughout the day. If you finish one building and are ready for another, repeat the strategy on each subsequent building.

7. Just say no

With so many vendors exhibiting at AmericasMart, eager sales people will approach you. Remember, you are on a lean buying mission. Remain focused on the product needs of your store. When sales people pitch products not on your buying radar, politely interrupt them, thank them, and move on.

You don’t need excess bulky literature to pull around the Mart. When exhibitors offer to load up your cart with catalogs, ask them to mail them to you instead.

8. Buyer beware

You will be shopping a global marketplace where diverse products and worldly manufacturers converge. You will be likely be visiting booths of unfamiliar companies.

Understand the pricing philosophy of the vendor. Mart vendors typically quote wholesale prices only. Always factor in shipping and convert all prospective orders to retail prices to determine real value and if your customers will buy the product.

Also denote the person(s) responsible for any defective or shipping issues and their contact information.

9. Decide to decide

Store sales/inventory data is vital to bring to the show. In my experience, the worst waste of show time comes from buyer indecision. The indecision comes from not knowing which items sell in their store and which don’t. Remember to buy what sells, so you are not forced to sell gifts at a discounted price.

Decisions are usually better made singularly than by committee. Thus, a buyer may be more productive shopping solo. If you are attending with another buyer from your store, splitting up with pre-assigned floors/aisles allows better booth coverage and faster decision making.

Finally, pace yourself, enjoy the show, and afterwards, kick back and take in some sights around the “Big Peach.” After days of intense shopping for the store, you deserve it.

Michael’s 26 years in specialty retailing includes positions with Standard Publishing, Parable, and an owner/operator of award-winning stores. andersonwriter@gmail.com