BEST DESIGN STORES OR RETAIL SHOWROOMS ACROSS COUNTRY

I am an Industrial Designer and make a line of products using ceramics and slip casting (molds and what not) they are all functional products such as floor lamps with a ton of personality and some other odds and ends all having to do with home decor sorta - maybe loft decor. I am going to have a catolouge out in about two months and I am wondering where I could aquire a list of stores or how do I find the best distributer? Or does anyone know the top 10 Home design related retailers across the US??? What is a designer to do… I am 17 and out of RISD 4 years - I am TRYING to launch my products and I know they sell caus eI used to make a killing selling them on Prince st. in NY… I sold out every day - but I need to get more exposed or reach a larger market… I have little money to go to the expositions and get booths but I wanted to drive across country and stop off at the best places all the way… . anyone help? or offer a sugestion… thanks Pete

the business will be very hard in this way. My suggestion: get a partner or attend the fairs to get a rep

dude, show us some pic or sketches or something…

!!

Try Canoe in Portland, Oregan.
Try Future Perfect in Brooklyn, NY.
Try Bread and Butter in Manhatten, NY.
Try Clio in Manhatten, NY.
Also try online venues like MoColoco.com and people will find you.

Etc.,
Etc.

I will post more as I think of more. Have to rush off to the 9-5 (ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ)

Hey, people, get on board, exchange some info, stop being trite hardasses.

My suggestion, Petergurnz, is to keep doing your thing. Sounds like you’re almost There!

pete, shoot me an email. i’m out of risd too, and in the middle of the same process.
joe
joe@juicestudios.com

SHARE.

shown us something so we can better help u>>>>

peter,
you could try and work with some wholesalers. there are a lot of design forward wholesalers who carry designer lines. they have an advantage of having a huge nationwide sales force and participate in all major shows. if they carry your line, the you get visibility in all shows and a ready retail market. you can give them your catalogues/material etc and they would sell it with their other lines under your brand name. also it goes into retail as your brand.
f your line does well commercially, then you can negotiate better terms with the biggies. these wholesale companies usually have great contact with the big departmental stores/national retail chains.

this is the best way to start when you have limited capital. you can use your time and money for product development and someone else would sell for you.

you can find the contacts from the trade show websites*(exhibitor listings) or fair guides. find someone who is design forward.

also you could look at a slaes agency thet usually has sales reps that can sell your line for you.

i am a designer in canada and am kinda thinking on same lines.

hope this helps. all the best.

Talk to the people at Blue Dot

They wen’t through a similar process not too many years ago, and they might have some insite into getting things going with vendors and reps and such.

thank you all very much for your replies to my posting… I am in the process of photographing the line and will post some pics soon. However, the information you all have provided has been enormously helpful already… if anyone has more ideas - please let me know, I am all ears.

What is a designer to do… I am 17 and out of RISD 4 years -



wait a minute?? you are 17 and you already graduated from risd 4 years ago?? you must be joking, or i am reading this wrong??


he’s karim’s illegitimate child, get over it.


hey, original poster, don’t be such a leech. why don’t you post YOUR ideas. surely by now you’ve explored this more.

typo - im 27 not 17