Seattle Gift Center Changes Name To Pacific Market Center

Furniture World Magazine

One of the United States’ premier permanent wholesale marts announced a name change from The Seattle Gift Center to Pacific Market Center. Located in Seattle, a leading economic and financial center, the mart features thousands of product lines for a wide selection of merchandise set in a sophisticated, boutique buying and selling environment. Pacific Market Center is the destination market for buyers in the United States, Canada and beyond seeking best selling product lines and unique products not available anywhere else. Located in one of the top ten favorite cities by readers of Travel and Leisure (August 2006) and a major port of entry for the United States, Pacific Market Center is situated in a region with more than $475 billion of disposable income and a projected population growth of 27 percent. A complement to the larger marts located throughout the United States, Pacific Market Center visitors will find thousands of leading national and international product lines from more than 65 distinct categories including home furnishings, outdoor living/garden, kitchenware, lifestyle, lighting, gourmet foods, accessories, linens/textiles pet, housewares, jewelry, handmade, tabletop, seasonal, home décor, juvenile, inspirational, and gift. The new name reflects the mart’s ongoing commitment to meet and exceed the needs and expectations of the thousands of buyers visiting Pacific Market Center each year, as well as reaching new buyers. Along with the new name, the mart’s branding includes a new tagline -- “Delivering a world of style at your doorstep.” “To reflect the changing market place, we have increasingly expanded product line offerings extending well beyond gifts and are well positioned to serve a far broader market so the former name was no longer representative of our mart,” said Larry Benaroya, principal of The Benaroya Company, owner of Pacific Market Center. “The name change reflects the mart’s new level of innovation and sophistication set in an intimate, efficient marketplace that showcases original, trend-setting product lines enabling us to provide North America with a vibrant, niche market.” The mart’s new name reflects the Pacific Coast’s spending power as well as the technological innovation, entrepreneurship and customer-focus permeating the considerable number of global corporations based in the region including Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Costco, Nike, and Boeing. Discriminating buyers visiting Pacific Market Center have come to expect a unique environment with personalized assistance from an experienced buyer service team. As part of the commitment to cultivating savvy professionals, Pacific Market Center offers year-round educational opportunities on various topics by industry leaders to help buyers stay abreast of trends in an ever changing industry. Pacific Market Center’s transformation is helping to redefine comfort and convenience to make the buying experience both pleasant and memorable. The name change is accompanied by numerous upgrades to the wholesale mart including the addition of new, dynamic showrooms and a breadth of new products. Pacific Market Center continues to grow its premier collection with the recent addition of five new showrooms and the current expansion of a number of existing showrooms. Pacific Market Center has increased the mart’s technological capabilities with amenities such as user-friendly interactive touch screen directories to navigate both showrooms and products displayed on screens located throughout the mart. Pacific Market Center has also installed free WI-FI in a newly renovated business lobby and common areas, as well as providing Internet connections and additional business services in the new business center. To highlight and celebrate the innovation the Pacific Northwest has become so well known for, Pacific Market Center and the Seattle Gift Show have launched Seattle Market Week. This partnership between the permanent showrooms and temporary show gives visitors to Pacific Market Center’s August Gift & Home Accessories Show, to be held August 16 to 22, access to more than 10,000 product lines in two locations connected by free shuttle service. In recognition of Pacific Market Center’s impact on both the City and State, both Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and Governor Christine Gregoire have issued proclamations declaring the week of August 14 to be Seattle Market Week. A few of the highlights planned for the Show include seminars led by nationally-recognized leaders such as featured speaker Jim Sinegal, Costco president and CEO. Seattle Market Week offers buyers a rare opportunity to see many of the top product lines that they would be able to see in Atlanta or New York, providing an exceptional visitor experience to buyers from all over the country. Pacific Market Center is open to buyers year-round. August marks the mart’s 30th Anniversary of helping buyers to keep up with the trends affecting their customers. Pacific Market Center is commemorating the anniversary with a World Party for buyers, reps and tenants on Saturday, August 19, 2006 set in a multi-themed tented pavilion at the mart. All Pacific Market Center showrooms are open every Monday and Tuesday for Market Days from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. year-round and approximately 30 percent of the showrooms are also open Wednesday through Friday. The mart also offers special educational and buying events throughout the year to assist buyers in staying abreast of industry trends. About Pacific Market Center The industry destination for buyers in the Western United States, Canada and beyond, Pacific Market Center offers 100 permanent showrooms on five floors featuring thousands of product lines for a wide selection of merchandise to help buyers keep up with every trend affecting their consumers. Pacific Market Center draws thousands of buyers from more than 30 channels of distribution including high-end department stores, corporate, specialty retailers, home furnishings, kitchenware, events, gourmet food, hospitality, garden/outdoor living, salons & spas, wineries, Internet, and regional chain outlets. Located in Seattle’s Design District, Pacific Market Center is open to the trade only. For more information, visit www.pacificmarketcenter.com. Pacific Market Center is owned and managed by The Benaroya Companies.