NEW YORK -- It was all gifts all the time this week in New York City as gift shows opened over the weekend at the Javits convention center and at showroom buildings around town, including 41 Madison, 7W and 230 Fifth Avenue.
Exhibitors at the New York International Gift Fair at the convention center almost uniformly said traffic was good on the opening days of the event and that order-writing was brisk. They attributed that as much to lean retail inventories as any significant pickup in retail activity. Exhibitors said, either way, they welcomed the business.
At 41 Madison, Laurie Burns, senior vice president, said, “We knew attendance would be strong judging from the unprecedented number of preregistrations. This is good news for the industry.” The building is featuring a lobby display with product from some its upscale tenants including William Yeoward, Seguso Viro and Meissen.
At 7W, there were a number of ribbon cuttings for new showrooms throughout the day yesterday and also an Hawaiian themed party where the grand prize was a trip to the islands.
At the gala Retail Excellence Awards dinner on Sunday night, the Gift for Life charity organization presented a lifetime achievement award to Bobbi Gottlieb, co-founder of Two’s Company, which is celebrating its 40 anniversary this year.