Editor’s view: Summer markets adapt to a new reality

Summer market season begins on Tuesday, with a special twist for 2026.

World Cup games take place across North America in the first half of the summer, thrilling American soccer fans but posing logistical challenges to the cities and municipalities across the country that are hosting the matches.

Atlanta and Dallas, where semi-final games will be played, are among them. Hundreds of thousands of soccer fans from around the world will descend on these cities to either attend the matches themselves or go to off-site viewing parties that are going on at the same time. While it will be a boon to the local economy, it will put a serious strain on the infrastructure of these two cities, which already have a reputation for headache-inducing traffic. It also overlaps with the home furnishings trade shows scheduled for the same time, the Total Home & Gift Show and Lightovation in Dallas, and Atlanta Market in Atlanta.

Last year, Dallas Market Center and AndMore, which owns Atlanta Market, came up with two different solutions to the overlap problem, both designed to make show attendance this summer as stress-free and affordable as possible for attendees. AndMore changed the dates of its show, moving Atlanta Market from its typical early July spot on the calendar to June 9-14. Dallas Market Center, noting that the Dallas World Cup games are being held at AT&T Stadium about 20 miles away from The Mart, locked in hotel blocks for attendees at typical market rates, rather than World Cup rates, as long as guests paid for one night in full as a non-refundable deposit. It also held a World Cup ticket raffle for qualified buyers this spring as an incentive.

Another change we see this summer is the continuing evolution of how exhibitors position their product launches. Market presentations this month are a mix of proven High Point Market performers and fresh introductions created specifically for the summer shows.

We are starting to see more carryover product from one market to the next as exhibitors place greater emphasis on available goods or product that has been on the water for at least 30 days. This makes sense in an era in which availability is directly related to profitability. We have all been trained to look for what’s new and fresh every time we go to market, but that is no longer realistic. The regional independent store buyers getting their first look at what’s new in Atlanta and Dallas, and next month in Las Vegas, have the benefit of knowing that those products are likely to sell.

I’ll be reporting from Atlanta and Dallas and will share what I discover in our newsletter, on our website and in our July issue. If you see me in the halls, please stop and say hi!

Related: Manufacturers react as Atlanta Market shifts dates for 2026 FIFA World Cup