IMC, organisers of the recently held Atlanta Market which took place from 13-18 August, say the show went well despite a change in practices due to Covid-19.
“To say that the Summer 2020 Atlanta Market was a market like none other is an understatement,†said Bob Maricich, IMC CEO. “While the format was changed, the footprint was smaller and safety measures were in place, the impact on the retail and design community was the same. Atlanta Market brought buyers and sellers together to make connections and do business – which are key elements in their success as they recover from the Covid-19 crisis.â€Â
Organisers say Covid-19 did impact buyer traffic, reporting 20 per cent of the usual buyer traffic and 23 per cent of the number of businesses (stores and designers) represented. The market drew a largely regional crowd with 90 per cent of the traffic hailing from the Southeast with 82 per cent coming from Georgia and its five surrounding states. In total, all US regions were represented at market with attendees from 44 states.
IMC says that across the home décor and gift categories, exhibitors reported steady sales and larger average orders, despite lighter than usual market traffic.
“Everything was staged very well and has gone very smoothly. We are glad we are here and excited to be here! Our average orders sales were up 2.5 per cent and we [extended] our stay,†said Ed Voelker, president of home décor brand Abigails.
Organisers were also quick to point out that safety was of the highest priority with social distancing encouraged and mask wearing mandatory.
A total of 65 IMC full-time staff members – including executive and senior-level leadership – took on new market roles as ingress/ egress managers and mask compliance ambassadors. The result was high levels of cooperation and limited incidents reports IMC.
IMC plans to return to the market schedule as previously announced for Winter 2021. Showrooms will be open Tuesday, January 12 – Tuesday, January 19, 2021 with temporaries Wednesday, January 13 – Sunday, January 17, 2021.
More information will be available at AtlantaMarket.com.
