GHTA members report higher quarterly sales, optimism for '06

Staff -- Home Accents Today, 6/1/2006

Gift and Home Trade Association members reported 2006 first quarter sales increased an average 22% over the same period in 2005, a recent association survey showed.

The same group expects total 2006 sales to increase 19% over 2005.

Vendors' sales reports nearly doubled those of sales agencies. While vendors reported a 29% increase in first quarter sales, sales agencies reported a 15% increase.

Correspondingly, while vendors expect a 24% increase, sales agencies expect 2006 sales to be 14% higher than 2005.

According to the survey medians, vendors reported an 11% increase while sales agencies reported a 10% increase.

The survey results ranged from no first quarter sales increases to a 300% first quarter sales increase for one GHTA member.

No one reported a decrease in sales from 2005.

The same survey compared the percentage of orders written at shows to the percentage of orders written on the road. Both sales agencies and vendors reported similar results.

Twenty-three percent of the sales agencies' orders and 25% of the vendors' orders were written at shows.

GHTA, a nonprofit professional trade association, was formed to help retailers, vendors, sales agencies and industry affiliates work together to improve relationships.