The first-ever April Buying Week at AmericasMart Atlanta concluded with steady order writing and engaged buying from key accounts across its three co-located markets, including Atlanta Apparel, Formal Markets and Spring Gift & Home Market. Over the four-day event, April 1-4, attendees explored nearly 1,300 exhibitors, spanning gift, home, casual and outdoor furnishings, apparel, accessories and formal categories.
“April Buying Week marked a significant milestone for ANDMORE, aligning key sourcing seasons for apparel and formal Autumn/Winter 2025 collections, with the added advantage of access to gift and home resources, creating a more comprehensive and efficient buying experience,” said Caron Stover, ANDMORE senior vice president of apparel.
The April Atlanta Apparel showcased the season’s newest styles with 475-plus permanent showrooms and 275-plus temporary exhibits featuring contemporary apparel, young contemporary, accessories and footwear. In addition, the semi-annual Formal Markets returned with over 60 permanent showrooms and 30 temporary exhibits.
ANDMORE reported that key categories for Atlanta Apparel included seasonal outerwear, elevated knitwear, statement accessories and must-have footwear trends, with brands reporting strong order writing across the board.
Lauren Hewlett, senior account executive at BuDhaGirl, was a temporary exhibitor and added to the positive sentiments, “We are a Dallas-based company, and buyers love seeing us in Atlanta because it’s not our backyard. We have been pretty busy this market and have opened many new accounts, including over 10 new accounts with some of our top-prospected buyers.”
Buyers appreciated this market for its ability to provide helpful market amenities and a full range of available categories, ensuring a seamless sourcing experience.
“We come to every apparel market here in Atlanta for all four days, and this market was a success for us,” said Crystal Gendusa, owner of The Pink Pineapple in Tallahassee, Florida. “As busy boutique owners, it is super helpful to have on-site parking and meals that allow us to spend more time on the floor sourcing. We are excited, too, about the overlap of gift resources in Building 2 that will help us replenish items outside of apparel for our store.”
“It’s always inspiring to come to Atlanta and see what’s next in fashion, and it is especially worth the trip to see things in person,” said Brittney Patty of B Social Boutique in St. Augustine, Florida. “We found some amazing pieces this market that we know our customers will love that will fly off the racks. Over the years, I have built many relationships that I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for Atlanta Apparel.”
April Buying Week’s cross-category sourcing opportunities gave apparel and formal buyers the ability to explore gift and home resources that are not typically accessible during regular market visits. The exposure to more resources allowed fashion-focused retailers to diversify their offerings and foster new relationships with gift and home brands.
“Every store order we have written at this show has been a new customer from the apparel market,” said Exhibitor Frances Northcutt of Rewined Candles. “At the gift and home Atlanta Markets, we typically see reorders and touch bae with our longstanding customers, that new business piece is really crucial, so that has been very positive. If AmericasMart continues to combine the markets in the future, we will definitely keep coming back.”
April Buying Week offered attendees over 20 events and activations, ranging from trend vignettes to educational seminars and networking opportunities. Buyers also heavily attended the Boutique Hub crossover sourcing educational panel, which featured thoughtful discussion and questions.
Looking ahead, ANDMORE’s next markets will build on the momentum of April Buying Week with Spring Cash & Carry running May 5-7 at AmericasMart Atlanta. Atlanta Apparel’s next edition runs June 3-6 at the same venue, and Formal Markets’ next edition is Aug. 4-8 at the same venue.
