San Francisco shows competing for share of gift, design markets

In response to the Las Vegas Market taking some of its home furnishings customers, the San Francisco Mart is redirecting its focus from furniture to gift buyers and design professionals. The shift puts the Mart closer to direct competition with the San Francisco International Gift Fair and a Gift Center in the Design District.

The Gift Fair also added new category synergies for its four-day run, Feb. 4–7, at the Moscone Convention Center. The Fair reported nearly 300 first-time exhibitors debuted while about 18,400 retailers attended the recent show.

"The Gift Fair's new layout lent itself to convenience and buying ease for our customers. The change was well received by exhibitors and attendees alike," said Mike Dean, president, Western Exhibitors Inc., which co-manages the Gift Fair with George Little Management. "And, as always, the Fair was set apart by new products and activities that are unique to San Francisco."

The Gift Fair's past position of cooperating with the San Francisco Mart, then focused on furniture, may soon change.

In a Feb. 25 San Francisco Chronicle article, Dean was quoted as saying the Gift Fair is bound by its contract with the Gift Center not to promote a competing building but he added: "As long as it was furniture, I thought it was in the best interest of our buyers to cooperate with the SF Mart. But now they're trying to get tenants from the Gift Center."

The next edition of the fair will run Aug. 5–8 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.

San Francisco Mart General Manager Roseann Carini recently divulged her strategy for Gifts on Six, aimed at setting aside the building's sixth floor for gift products, such as wall decor, knickknacks, pet products and stationery.

In February, she set the dates for the Mart's winter market onto the front of the Gift Fair dates, and partnered with the fair on shuttles and badges for attendees.

The Mart's main building had five of its 11 floors closed for renovations during the winter market. Its showroom space is down to 1 million square feet now that the building behind it, formerly known as Mart 2, was leased for office space.