Market in 2022 Means Finding New Vendors and Making New Relationships

Do you have an event you go to every year? An event you look forward to because you know just what to expect and exactly what you’re looking forward to? 

What if the next time you went, it was different? And what you were expecting to happen, didn’t. The things you were looking forward to weren’t really there. What would you do? 

That’s what happened when I went to Market earlier this month. Market is where I go twice a year to see all the new products from my favorite vendors. It’s where I go to check out all the new trends, get inspiration for the products I design, and choose products for the subscription boxes I’m curating for the year. 

But this year, Market was different. 

Those new products? They weren’t there. The supply chain issues we’ve been fighting for almost two years are still causing problems. My favorite vendors had all the same stuff they had when I saw them at Market last summer. 

New trends? At first, all I saw was more of the same. Including one trend I am more than ready to see the back of. 

So, I spent the first day feeling disappointed and discouraged. The truth is, I’d been looking forward to this trip and it wasn’t turning out the way I wanted it to. 

It turns out feeling disappointed and discouraged doesn’t help. Sure, giving yourself a little time for a good wallow is necessary. But, so is picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and coming up with a new plan. 

Day two, that’s what I did. 

Today I’m talking about the importance of shifting your mindset when something doesn’t go your way. 

And when you do? 

Sometimes you’ll discover things you’d have missed if everything was the way it had always been. 

I want to share what I learned when I approached Market with a flipped mindset and open eyes.

Oh, and the trends? I found them. And I LOVE some of them. I’ll tell you about those, too. 

I discovered new vendors.    

Like I said, I have a routine when I go to Market. There are so many vendors and showrooms, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. My usual strategy is to stick with my tried-and-true vendors. 

But those tried-and-true vendors had mostly the same stuff they had last time. Which meant I needed to branch out. 

My team and I ventured into parts of Market I’d never been in before. We saw vendors we’d never worked with and I made new contacts. Were their products the same items they’d had on offer last summer? Probably. But they were new to me and they’ll be new to my customers. 

I met some great people and found some incredible products I’m thrilled to sell in my online store. I also found some items that will be part of some seriously amazing subscription boxes this year! 

The lesson here is not to be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Meet new people, start making new business relationships, try out new products. You’ll be glad you did. I know I was! 

I spotted emerging trends.         

I don’t want you to think I didn’t see anything new at Market. With my mindset flipped and my eyes wide open on day two, I found a few things worth getting excited about. 

When I see a new trend, I immediately think about how I can use it in my own designs as well as how to bring it to my online customers and subscribers. 

This is what I want you to do, too. When you see a new trend coming, think of ways to incorporate it into your subscription boxes. That will make your boxes look fresh, new, and on trend. 

Linen

Linen was everywhere. On home decor items and all types of apparel. Linen is going to be big. 

And yes, that includes loose wrinkly linen shirts like the ones we all wore a couple decades ago. 

This is the one new trend I’m not sure about. I didn’t love it, but it might just grow on me. We’ll see. 

Velvet

Maybe I didn’t get excited about all the linen, but I got very excited about velvet. I LOVED what I saw, which was velvet in all kinds of places. 

I saw velvet in clothing, home decor, furniture, handbags, and more. And not just fall and winter items, either. Velvet was a big part of spring collections, too. 

Velvet is just so luxurious and the colors were scrumptious. I can’t wait to get some velvet into my subscription boxes! 

State and City-Specific Items

The personalized trend continues, but with a twist. At Market, it was all about taking pride in and loving where you live. 

We saw a ton of state and city-specific items. And it wasn’t just big cities like New York or Chicago, smaller cities and towns were well represented. I saw Springfield, Illinois and Reno, Nevada among others. We also saw zip codes on everything - hats, sweatshirts and tees, totes - you name it, there was a zipcode on it. 

This trend is all about something being custom and personalized. My advice? Embrace this trend and incorporate it into your subscription boxes and online stores. I have a feeling this one is going to be big! 

A New Color

I’m always on the lookout for color trends. And this Market did not disappoint. Everywhere we went, we saw the same color. And it’s beautiful. 

My team and I went back and forth about what to call this yummy shade of green we kept seeing. We decided it’s jade. It’s not forest green and it’s not kelly green. It’s somewhere between the two and it’s fabulous! 

This jade color was on accessories, clothing, handbags, and home decor. It really was everywhere. And it was in vendors’ spring, summer, and fall collections - this is a color trend that will hold strong for most of the year. 

For spring, we saw it in leafy patterns and foliage. Summer brought palm trees and it was big in fall home decor. 

This green is a color that looks good on just about everyone! Make plans to incorporate it into your subscription boxes. Your subscribers will love it, too. 

I learned a lot from this trip to Market. First, and most importantly, I was reminded there are times when things won’t go as planned. The best way to handle that is to take a breath and flip your mindset. Instead of focusing on what Market wasn’t, I concentrated my time and energy on discovering what it was. 

I found new showrooms, discovered new vendors, and formed new relationships. I also found new items I’m super excited about. I love them and I know my customers and subscribers will, too. 

Are you thinking about taking a trip to Market? Following is a list of the major Home & Gift Markets in the U.S. Check their websites for details and dates. 

• AmericasMart - Atlanta
• Las Vegas Market
• Dallas Market Center
• Magic - Las Vegas
• ASD - Las Vegas
• NY Now - New York
• Chicago Gift Market
• LA Mart - Los Angeles