NY market off to slow start

SANDY PARKER REPORT, VOL. 30, ISSUE 18, JUNE 19, 2006
The following extract is reproduced with permission from Sandy Parker Reports, Weekly International Fur News. Sandy Parker has been covering the fur industry for more than four decades. For most of that time he has published a weekly newsletter, detailing results of international pelt auctions, wholesale price trends, business developments and movements in the trade, as well as economic and political activities that may impact on it.
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International Fur News
with Sandy Parker
NY market off to slow start
FUR MARKET TIME IN NEW YORK GOT OFF TO A SLOWER START LAST WEEK THAN MANUFACTURERS WOULD HAVE LIKED, but the activity was consistent with the pattern of recent years. That the retailer traffic was light had largely been expected and the handful of manufacturers who scheduled showings of their collections did so primarily for the fashion press and they were not disappointed by that turnout. To be sure, some important buyers were in town and, while most merely took numbers, a few placed orders for nearby delivery. But, as far as opening orders for the new season are concerned, most manufacturers are expecting the process to be strung out at least through July.
Retailer hesitation at this point is traced mainly to the mild January and February weather that followed a good December and turned the past winter season into a disappointment. The resultant unsold inventory was more than they had planned for and, from a budget standpoint, put a crimp into their spending plans for the coming season. But beyond that, suppliers detect an uneasiness among their clients they believe reflects an increasing apathy among consumers – possibly due to world unrest or economic conditions – that may be affecting their attitude toward discretionary spending in general.
IMPORTS OF FUR APPAREL INTO THE UNITED STATES DECLINED IN APRIL, following three months of advances. The latest Commerce Dept. figures reflect initial shipments, including sample orders, placed at the Hong Kong and other fairs this spring and tend to bear out earlier reports that American buyers had placed more emphasis on smaller and less expensive items. The month’s imports from all sources totaled $8.7 million, down 11% from the same month last year. This brought the four-month aggregate to $37 million, which was still 19% higher than in the same period last year.
IN THIS ISSUE:
N.Y. Market Off to Slow Start
Stores in No Hurry to Order
Shows Get Good Press Coverage
Fox Prices Ease in Finland
U.S. Imports Fall in April
For extracts from back issues of Sandy Parker Reports see News Index. Subscribers can access an archive of complete issues at www.sandyparker.com.
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