Pet Product News Editorial Blog:
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
H.H. Backer Christmas Show
By Carol Boker
Editor in Chief of Pet Product News International and Pet Style News
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| One highlight of the show was Faith, the two-legged dog, shown here with her owner at Andrea Levine’s booth. |
Chicago was the scene for the annual H.H. Backer show Oct. 3-5. It was a very mild weekend, weather-wise, making it perfect for buyers to make their way to the Rosemont Convention Center. We had our BowTie Inc. booth downstairs and our Pet Style News booth upstairs, so we had traffic at both spots, perusing our magazines and pet books. This year downstairs there was a Canadian section and a Natural section, which some exhibitors chose to be a part of. Upstairs still held most of the boutique-type manufacturers.
I thought it was a good show; however, I got mixed reactions from those exhibitors I talked with—everything from “it was okay” to “one day was busy and the others were not” to “I won’t be back next year.” Many remarked that orders that were taken were smaller than usual. They felt retailers were being cautious, especially since their ability to borrow money has come almost to a halt. With the stock market at an all-time low, it’s no wonder the show was quieter than usual.
I’d be anxious to hear your experiences at the show—good or bad!
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H.H. Backer Christmas Show
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