Bob's Blog Archive March 24th, 2009 Blogging again… Well, the shows are over and our early booking period is coming to a close. Fortunately, I can see the light at the end of my travel schedule too. Since my last blog I have visited Kansas City, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Wisconsin, Baltimore/DC, Las Vegas again, and New York City. I have spoken to so many retailers during this time that it is hard to separate the conversations. “How’s business?” is the first question out of everybody’s mouth; and I have heard all the answers. It’s like an old movie title out there – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. We all know the bad, and the ugly is what gets written in the media; so this blog will focus on the good - and there is good happening out there. Each trade show this year we wrote more business than we did the same show in 2008. There are several reasons why. First, there were less exhibitors showing at each show. I mean way less, in some cases like MAGIC it was 50% less. The retailer count was down too, but not nearly as much as the exhibitors count. So that resulted in more traffic for us - and traffic at a show means business (if you are sharp). Second reason was the cold weather in many parts of the country. These were fall shows and the report cards we saw from our customers were fantastic. Additionally, the recession is good for people selling accessories. Hats and gloves sold much better than expensive outerwear. I’m not saying the recession is good; it sucks. It is just that our category is not getting hurt as much as others. But I think the ultimate factor working for us is that hats are cool again. I said before that we are changing fashion paradigms one head at a time. Last week was the 101st annual dinner for The Headwear Association. It is held in New York City the third Thursday in March. We took over Tavern On The Green and there were over 100 folks in the restaurant wearing hats. It was reminiscent of another era. And it was cool. There is no doubt that there is a hat made to suit each individual’s personality. And once you find it, you know it. The Headwear Association and all its members art trying to spread the word. The night was a big honor for me because I was recognized with an award for my service to the industry. My father introduced me with a heart felt opening, and I got to address the crowd. I spoke of the history, change, and the future. We discussed why folks do and don’t wear hats. There was talk of “old hat etiquette” like removing your hat indoors and “new hat etiquette” like wearing your hat to bed. We all agreed that is a fun part of the fashion business and for now it is a good secret for the retailers who know how to show the category. Those retailers that sell hats now, know what I’m talking about. I’ll get some pictures of the dinner and some show photos on the blog site. That’s it for now. I’ve got a month before I head to China to start this whole thing over again. Spring 2010 is right around the corner. How bizarre! Bob
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