ATLANTA – April 4, 2025 – The first-ever April Buying Week at AmericasMart Atlanta concluded with steady order writing and engaged buying from key accounts across its three co-located markets: Atlanta Apparel, Formal Markets and Spring Gift & Home Market. Over the four-day market, April 1 – 4, attendees explored nearly 1,300 exhibitors spanning gift, home, casual and outdoor furnishings, apparel, accessories and formal categories.

"April Buying Week marked a significant milestone for ANDMORE®, aligning key sourcing seasons for apparel and formal Autumn/Winter 2025 collections, with the added advantage of access to gift and home resources, creating a more comprehensive and efficient buying experience,” said Caron Stover, ANDMORE SVP, Apparel.

Apparel Buyers Respond to Autumn/Winter 2025 Debuts

April Atlanta Apparel showcased the season’s newest styles with 475+ permanent showrooms and 275+ temporary exhibits featuring contemporary apparel, young contemporary, accessories and footwear. Key categories included seasonal outerwear, elevated knitwear, statement accessories, and must-have footwear trends, with brands reporting strong order writing across the board.

“I have been an exhibitor in AmericasMart Atlanta for 32 years and Atlanta is where my business lives,” said Michael Perry, owner of Michael Perry Showroom. “We service the entire Southeast, and this market we even saw stores from Arizona, Arkansas and Texas. Overall, this market was a success and we are looking forward to June!”

Temporary exhibitor, Lauren Hewlett, Senior Account Executive of BuDhaGirl, added to the positive market sentiments, “We are a Dallas-based company, and buyers love seeing us in Atlanta because it’s not our backyard. We have been pretty busy this market and have opened many new accounts, including over 10 new accounts with some of our top-prospected buyers.”

Buyers praised the market for its ability to provide helpful market amenities and a full range of available categories, ensuring a seamless sourcing experience all around.

“We come to every apparel market here in Atlanta for all four days, and this market was a success for us. As busy boutique owners, it is super helpful to have on-site parking and meals that allow us to spend more time on the floor sourcing,” said Crystal Gendusa, owner of The Pink Pineapple in Tallahassee, FL. “We are excited, too, about the overlap of gift resources in Building 2 that will help us replenish items outside of apparel for our store.”

“It’s always inspiring to come to Atlanta and see what’s next in fashion, and it is especially worth the trip to see things in-person. We found some amazing pieces this market that we know our customers will love, that will fly off the racks! Over the years, I have built many relationships that I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for Atlanta Apparel,” added Brittney Patty of B Social Boutique in St. Augustine, FL.

Formal Markets: Homecoming and Bridal Categories Shine

The semi-annual Formal Markets returned with over 60 permanent showrooms and 30 temporary exhibits, presenting the latest in homecoming, prom, bridal and quinceañera styles. Designers debuted their newest collections in Autumn/Winter 2025 bridal and homecoming, while the highly anticipated Revolving Runway event showcased key design trends.

Both buyers and exhibitors alike noted the importance of coming to the semi-annual formal market.

“This is our first time attending Formal Markets in Atlanta, and it has been the most amazing experience,” said Tabatha Coughlin, owner of Fancy’s Formal Wear in Judsonia, AR. “All of the brands are so welcoming, we are getting great feedback and we even ordered dresses that I never would’ve bought if I hadn’t seen and fallen in love with them in person. We are so excited to come back in August!”

Exhibitor Ashley Lauren Kerr, owner of AshleyLAUREN added, “We launched in 2011 at AmericasMart Atlanta, and we have grown every year thanks to the loyal buyers who come here. We got great feedback on our quinceañera line and wrote new orders all over the country. We had fully booked appointments the whole market and the energy here was upbeat. We are looking forward to August!”

Cross-Category Sourcing Brings New Business to Gift & Home Brands

Cross-category sourcing during April Buying Week gave apparel and formal buyers a unique opportunity to explore gift and home resources that are not typically accessible during regular market visits. This exposure to new resources allowed fashion-focused retailers to diversify their offerings and foster new relationships with gift and home brands, adding meaningful value to their market experience.

Exhibitor Frances Northcutt with Rewined Candles, said “Every store order we have written at this show has been a new customer from the apparel market. Whereas at the gift and home Atlanta Markets, we typically see reorders and touch base with our longstanding customers, that new business piece is really crucial, so that has been very positive. If AmericasMart continues to combine the markets in the future, we will definitely keep coming back.”

Events and Amenities Enhance April Buying Week Experience

April Buying Week featured 20+ events and activations, ranging from trend vignettes to educational seminars and networking opportunities. Attendees enjoyed daily complimentary breakfast, specialty happy hours and interactive installations that highlighted emerging brands and seasonal trends.

The in-person, pre-market Mon Cheri Academy educational session, part of an ongoing monthly educational series, was well-attended, with formal buyers learning about better business practices from morning until evening. Buyers also heavily attended the Boutique Hub crossover sourcing educational panel on Tuesday, engaging in thoughtful discussion with insightful questions and intentional listening.

Additionally, with the sourcing event happening on the heels of newly imposed tariffs on U.S. imports, the National Bridal Retailers Association (NBRA) was on-site providing educational resources for retailers and exhibitors alike to learn from.

“The three main purposes of the NBRA are to focus on public policy, media outreach and consumer education. During Market, we welcomed anyone affected by tariffs—whether within the formal industry or beyond—to connect with us, learn more about the issues, and discover how to take meaningful action. We provided sample letters and direct contact information for legislators, encouraging both buyers and exhibitors to speak out via mail, email, phone calls, and more. The more legislators understand the economic and social impact of our industries, the stronger and more influential our collective voice becomes,” said Sandra Gonzalez, owner of SPARKLE Bridal Couture in Sacramento, CA, and Vice President of the NBRA.

Looking ahead, ANDMORE’s next markets will continue to build on the momentum of April Buying Week, with Spring Cash & Carry, running May 5 – 7, 2025 at AmericasMart Atlanta. Spring Cash & Carry provides access to some 350+ permanent showrooms for order-writing and immediate delivery resources. Buyers can explore home décor, casual and outdoor resources in Building 1, gift offerings in Building 2 and apparel and accessories in Building 3. Showrooms will be open daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information and a comprehensive list of participating showrooms, visit https://www.americasmart.com/Markets/Spring-Cash-and-Carry.

Atlanta Apparel’s next edition is June 3 – 6, 2025, and Formal Markets next edition is August 4-8, 2025. For more information, visit www.atlanta-apparel.com and www.formalmarkets.com.

About April Buying Week: For the first time, April Buying Week will bring Atlanta Apparel together with Formal Markets and Spring Market (Gift + Home) into one comprehensive, cross-category sourcing and shopping experience. Integration of three AmericasMart Atlanta markets into a single, concurrent event affords buyers access to a range of apparel, formalwear, gift and home resources in nearly 950 permanent showrooms and 400 temporary exhibits, all available in one location. Owned and operated by ANDMORE®, April Buying Week provides an unmatched opportunity for cross-category discovery and sourcing. AmericasMart.com.  

About ANDMORE®: ANDMORE, a Blackstone portfolio company, empowers wholesale buyers and sellers to connect, grow and prosper through premier physical markets and design centers. The company operates over 20 million square feet of premium tradeshow and showroom space, hosting live events in Atlanta, High Point, N.C., Las Vegas and New York City. Serving industries such as home décor, gift, furniture and apparel, ANDMORE supports the global B2B community through its unmatched marketplace experiences. ANDMORE.com. 

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Media Contact

Amanda Merritt, 404.884.5061 or amerritt@andmore.com