Dallas Market Center
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The Dallas Market Center along Stemmons Freeway in Dallas, Texas (USA) is the world's largest wholesale resource, offering more products across more categories than any other wholesale resource.[1] Dallas Market Center is comprised of multiple buildings, including Market Hall, the Trade Mart, World Trade Center and IFGC. This year, Dallas Market Center celebrates its 50th Anniversary.
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[edit] History
Dallas Market Center was founded in 1957 by Dallas real estate pioneer Trammell Crow. After World War II, Crow worked as a wholesale grain merchandiser, but saw more opportunities in warehouse real estate development, and entered the field. He was once called, "The World's Largest Landlord". As Trammel Crow's real estate grew, the concept of a wholesale “market” was developing as well. At the time, there was no set permanent location for "market" a term that described a common time for salesmen to gather together and show their merchandise. Since the early 1940s, the markets rotated between Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio. Then in 1946, the Retail Furniture Association leased two buildings on the State Fair Grounds in Dallas to hold the new Southwest Furniture Market and invited buyers from five states.
However, the resources in Dallas were not easy to shop as they were scattered throughout the city and opened at different times.
So in 1953, a group of decorators and salesmen met with Trammell Crow with an idea to create one permanent location where they could show their merchandise. Within two days, Crow presented them with the plans for the Dallas Decorative Center. The center opened in 1955 and was the first design center in the United States. Two years later, he completed construction on the Homefurnishings Mart and the Dallas Market Center was born. More than 1850 stores attended the first market.
Over the next fifty years, Dallas Market Center built upon the success of the two original buildings. Both the Decorative Center and the Homefurnishings Mart were expanded and the Trade Mart was completed in 1958. The Trade Mart became part of history in 1963 as the destination of President Kennedy until he was assassinated. In 1960, Market Hall, a consumer events space was constructed across the street and three years later the Apparel Mart. One of his buildings expanded almost every year.
In 1974, Dallas realized the dream of an international trade market with the opening of the World Trade Center.
CEO Bill Cooper said, "I believe we have broken the world trade barrier in Dallas."
In 1978, the building added eight more floors, giving it a total of fifteen. The World Trade Center totalled 3,100,000 square feet (290,000 m²). Dallas Market Center was officially the largest wholesale marketplace in the world.
[edit] The campus
Today, the Dallas Market Center campus is comprised of Market Hall, the Trade Mart, World Trade Center, and IFGC (formerly the Homefurnishings Mart). In January 2007 it celebrates its big past and bigger future with a 50th Anniversary Celebration. The celebration also includes the opening of a 500,000 square foot expansion to the Trade Mart along Market Center Blvd. This expansion doubles the lighting marketplace in Dallas and is the only building custom designed for the lighting industry from the ground up.
Dallas is also a leader of the apparel industry. After years of careful research and consideration, Dallas decided to change the dates of its Apparel Markets to a Sunday - Wednesday date pattern. This bold move was made after an overwhelming 83% of buyers surveyed requested that they have their weekends back. Dallas thought it was about time and made the change. In December of 2006, Atlanta's AmericasMart followed the lead, changing their dates to a Sunday - Wednesday pattern.
In total, Dallas Market Center covers 5,500,000 square feet (510,000 m²) and houses 2,200 permanent showrooms for over 50,000 manufacturers.[citation needed] Within its marketplace of more than 5.5 million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from lighting, home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and textiles, fashion accessories and women’s, men's, and children's apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 84 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward helping retailers expand business and increase profits. As a result, more than US$7.5 billion in estimated wholesale transactions are conducted annually within the Dallas Market Center complex.[2][3]
[edit] References
- ^ Guinness World Records Online - History and Selling - Buying and Selling - Huge Market Largest Wholesale Market Record. Retrieved 17 January 2006.
- ^ Dallas Market Center - About. Retrieved 29 August 2006.
- ^ Guinness World Records Online - History and Selling - Buying and Selling - Huge Market Largest Wholesale Market Record. Retrieved 17 January 2006.
