Why fall market week was better than many expected
Jennifer Marks // September 26, 2025
New York – A couple of months ago, I would have bet on a “quiet” fall market like the one we had in the teeth of the Great Recession. Good thing I kept my money in my pocket.
Instead, most suppliers said the September New York Home Fashions Market was surprisingly positive. To be sure, there aren’t as many retail companies as there used to be, so halls at showroom buildings aren’t thrumming with traffic.
That said, the appointment schedules were solid, and by most accounts, retailers were hungry for newness.
On that score, suppliers really stepped up and recognized the moment. President Trump’s tariff are going to be what they’re going to – until they become something else. Will India’s 50% levy get rolled back? Will China’s temporary 30% duty get another extension? Those rates could change with a single social media post.
In the meantime, everybody is buckling down and doing what they can to pack more value into their products – especially perceived value. All in all, there was more color and even more texture, more detailing, and more embellishment.
The market saw a fair number of licensed brand introductions as well – something I also would have bet against not that long ago. Aside from Revman’s big Martha Stewart intro, most of the brands were thoughtfully targeted: influencer Amber Guyson (Sky Home/Gul Ahmed), Minnetonka (Allied Home), Beautyrest (Indo Count), Coldwater Creek (Sun-Yin USA), Rubbermaid for bath and storage (Mayzon), celebrity designer Sarina Soto (Sleepwell), and Salt Life (JQueen’s new JQ Company division). There were a few others in preview that haven’t been announced but are likely to get spotlight treatment either at Heimtextil or spring market in New York.
The overarching concept for fall market was durability – the durability of products and the durability of U.S. consumers. Disposable income is already tight and likely to get tighter as higher-cost goods land on shelves. Now, more than ever, there’s a recognition that product really, really, really needs to be compelling.
After all, you can’t bore people into buying.