Waves of demand rippled through the Buyer/Seller Marketplace in just the past couple weeks. In fact, event-driven demand for some products are flooding what is normally Post-Holiday January Sales Slumps. (Don’t tell the gloomy sales pundits just yet.)

Have a quick look at these products and product categories. You’ll see how trends and building demand are actually swamping some brand-name suppliers, who can’t keep up with the market now.

1. SPORTS & FITNESS

Athletic Apparel … the right Sport/Exercise Footwear … Exercise and Training Equipment … Books, DVDs and Games focused on weight-loss, exercise plans and fitness routines.

Here are tips to vette new suppliers, attract and sell to the right buyers, source and negotiate the best deals. Think of these How-To tips as your own GPS Guide to global product sourcing and navigating the most established wholesale Buy/Sell territory — ASD/AMD Trade Show, Las Vegas, March 2009.

Smart Buyers Do Homework

1. Check Industry References
Wholesale Industry web sites and directories offer forums for professional pulse checks. If you need to vette (verify) a potential new supplier/distributor … but you’re not sure whether it is a valid business operation or a Ponzi Scheme with mailbox address … check with your peers.

So, take a deep breath. What won’t squeeze into short headlines are micro-trends: sales that swam against the down tide … product categories and sales channels that defied the pull of “dismal” economic gravity. To find these other results that don’t fit the headline, you have to drill down into Holiday Sales reports. Or listen to buyers and sellers who never got asked. Here are some Holiday 2008 results that never made it into shopping analyst headlines and charts.

1. Big Box Retail Is Not The Whole Universe

On January 8, 2009, The New York Times recapped Retail Sales in December under the headline: After Weak Holiday Sales, Retailers Prepare for Even Worse. The subheader was more ominous: Judgment Day Is At Hand for American Retailers.

Major hotel chains are responding, by figuring out the next must-have exercise equipment or personal data assistant tech tool. Smart hotel managers want to install next-generation electronics before their guests even ask. To keep up with their gadget-obsessed guests, friendly innkeepers have taken to business partnerships with major technology companies, like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

As reported in the International Herald Tribune and NewsFactor Network last November, small and large hotel chains are equipping guest rooms and hotel lobby areas with the latest and greatest electronic devices. Initiatives include:

Spring offers 3 good reasons to go buy-sell trend stalking:

(1) International fashion shows have showcased latest upscale trends, which start filtering down to all price points.

(2) Buyers and Sellers prepare for major trade shows racked up on February’s wholesale calendar … from smart-price sourcing at Off-Price Specialist Show, to every price-point opportunities at shows focused on gifts, housewares and men’s, women’s and children’s apparel.

(3) Jewelry and accessories buyers start negotiating the most in-demand Valentine’s Day gifts.

Here are Hottest Trends for Spring 2009: Fashion-savvy apparel and accessories styles, including tips on Valentine’s Day jewelry and gifts.

1. Jewelry Is Larger, Bolder, More Romantic

· Source Active Wear From Leading Mills. R. G. Riley specializes in lowest-cost wholesale apparel as close-outs and overstocks from well-known national brand manufacturers, including:

Hanes Mill

Fruit of the Loom Mill

Gilden Active Wear Mill

· Regional Distribution. Control inventory and shipping expenses with R. G. Riley’s three regional warehouses: EAST (Martinsville, Virginia), MIDWEST (Tinley Park, Illinois), WEST (Los Angeles, California).