New Gift Show Targets Bargain Shoppers

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 10/11/2004

The Atlanta gift market is expanding in an effort to draw in discount customers. A new 10,000 net square foot section dedicated to this buyer base — Atlanta General Merchandise Expo — will debut at the Jan. 14–17 Gift Fair in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The expo's 100 booths will cater to retailers specializing in dollar stores, variety merchandise stores, flea markets, drug stores, convenience stores and swap meet vendors.

With the addition of the expo, the semiannual fair co-produced by George Little Management and Urban Expositions will span 120,000 net sq. ft. and showcase 750 exhibitors in 10 product sections. Urban will manage the American Country, At Home, General Gift, Outdoor Elements, Personal Style and Resort sections, while GLM produces the Accent in Atlanta, Cash & Carry, Handmade and Tabletop & Housewares sections.

A broader buyer base is expected for the fair, with an anticipated attendance of 12,000. Urban President Doug Miller said the expo will appeal to those buyers looking to incorporate a new supply of giftware into their merchandise mix. The expo "will enhance and differentiate the offerings of the gift fair, presenting a variety of value-priced items ideal for impulse purchases," he said.

Leslie Nathan-Street, GLM senior vice president, said the expo is a medium for the fair's continual response to the needs of gift retailers regional and nationwide. "We are always looking to add resources that have not been previously addressed in the Atlanta market, yet are in great demand."