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Good Morning
Welcome to this is off price.
This morning we have Lee Martin from The Immediate Resource in Dallas. Good morning Lee.
Good morning thank you for having me.
You're welcome.
We look forward to hearing your secrets of buying special occasion.
So tell us, what's the first secret?
The first thing I would say, the first big secret is not to compromise your quality regardless of the price you're paying.
Don't accept irregulars or store seconds for special occasion. That's a no-no.
And when working with a prospective source,
ask if he or she owns the goods or is was acting as an agent.
This is important since where the goods have been stored and how they were handled, can affect the quality.
Ask if the goods have been individually hand-inspected upon arrival, before they are sent to you.
Remember, no woman wants a special occasion dress
with loose sequins,
loose seams,
or sunlight damage.
Thank you. That sounds really important to know.
People would probably just assume that the quality was good and not really know what questions
to ask.
Tell us about trends. Aren't trends important in special occasion?
Oh, trends are always important special occasional, and they always have been.
What you want to look for this season for 2010 is going to be interesting back
treatments on any style of cocktail or prom dress that you may be purchasing;
lace-ups, embellished back straps. Conversational prints are absolutely phenomenal this year.
Fabric details like ruching, like beading,
like your ombre print material
as you see here in the georgette.
The one-shoulder styles are extremely popular for 2010, the Grecian look, as you see here, can be used for
more than just one occasion,
not just prom. It could also be used for cocktail, party,
even a wedding would be wonderful.
You want to look for chunky jewels, vibrant conversational prints, uh, the things that just
stand out on the dress and say, Look at me. I'm here!
Short-prom-looks as you see
here,
and party dresses with all-over sequins, two-tone illusion layers
ball gowns with layers of tulle(ing) are ideal for the prom,
Quinceanera, debutante and presentations.
Well, with all those choices,
what does a buyer do
to make sure she's buying the right things?
Um, she needs to know her customer base. Obviously, as a buyer you always want to know
who you are buying for, what you customer prefers,
and how much, obviously, she wants the spend and is willing to spend.
And in this case, it's sometimes, it's a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, if you're looking at a senior prom.
So you want to spend money on that. The girls will spend money on that. Their parents will.
Uh, so, on the other side of that coin, when your buying your cocktail and mother of the bride
dresses, you want to have a wide selection for your retail buyer.
You need to know what she will want to wear. Will she want sleeveless? Will she want
a shorter, trendier style? Or does she want to go a little more elegant with a long
flowing style,
very graceful look with the jacket? Um, satin, lace,
whatever it is that she may want. Just know your customer and what she's looking for.
And what about the junior proms?
Um, the junior proms always, generally go more for a short flirtyer, fun style.
It's always the fun party style
in the junior proms, right here. Here you've got one with a
great, great, great four layer tulle(ing) on it. And the girls really like this.
This is a great item to have for them. And they love those vibrant colors as well.
So what's your final tip for the buyers as they're starting to buy their off-price special occasion?
My final tip would be: whether it's prom,
homecoming,
Quinceanera,
pageant or wedding,
it's a special occasion.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime, each and every time.
Well, that's a great! So,
where do the buyers find you at the show?
Oh, that's easy. I'm located at the Off Price Show. We're at the Sands Convention Center
And what you want to do, is go in the Main Entrance.
You want to walk down the Main Aisle,
which is here.
Right here.
Main aisle.
Go to aisle number 600.
Turn left.
I'll be a little way down on the left, I'm sorry, on the right in booth 661
You won't miss us. I promise you!