Atlanta Market kicked off the summer show schedule this week, and vendors and retailers reported that business was basically OK. That’s actually good news—it’s practically a ringing endorsement compared to industry sectors like furniture, which continue to struggle as both the housing market and consumer sentiment remain dismal.

The show is historically held in July but pushed up its date this year due to the World Cup, which is expected to consume hotel rooms and airfares when it comes to town next week. Buyers and sellers alike said the earlier dates had minimal impact on attendance and buying plans, since it was still fourth-quarter merchandise that was in play.

The Total Home & Gift Market in Dallas, which starts in less than two weeks, is in its usual calendar spot, and while it does overlap with World Cup games in the greater Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex market, officials say they are expecting little interference in their show attendance.

Speaking of attendance, the summer shows—whenever and wherever they are held—tend to pale in comparison to their winter counterparts. That was certainly the case this time around in Atlanta. By the highly unscientific measurements of elevator wait times, lines at the Chick-fil-A, and how long it took to get a drink at the Westin Peachtree Plaza lobby bar at happy hour, it was clear that there were simply fewer people at the show.

But in a trend that has been building for some time, the larger showrooms (often giant rep agencies) had robust traffic and lots of buying activities even as smaller companies were less crowded. It seems the difference between the haves and have-nots continues to widen.

Even if there was no outright jubilation in the gift halls and showrooms of the AmericasMart building, there was also little moaning and groaning. Market attendees said the consumer is still out there spending—and what they want are cheap and cheerful items to make them forget how much gasoline prices have gone up in the past few months. Nothing fits that bill like the candles, trinket trays and assorted doodads that the gift industry is peddling. The shopper appears to be willing to spend $10 on a coffee mug that used to retail for $7.99, but when a sofa is $1,399 versus $999, she walks on by.

It was much the same on the home decor floors. While the price tags are higher than they are for gifts, once again the consumer is OK with spending for the quick refresh of a new decorative pillow or picture frame. Still, home accessories showrooms were not quite as lively as the ones selling gifts.

What else were people talking about at Market? Not surprisingly, two letters kept turning up in conversations: AI. Like just about everyone in the country, the gift and home industry is not quite sure how this new technology will change their businesses, but they know that change will happen. A few are experimenting with marketing and sales efforts tinged with touches of Claude and ChatGPT, but many said they are still finding their way through this latest technological wizardry.

If it reminds you of the early days of the internet, it’s with good reason. Businesses large and small—and in the case of the gift sector, it’s mostly the latter—are tiptoeing through the tech, just as they did with online marketing, e-commerce and social media a decade or two ago.

Whatever disruptions AI will bring, it will take some time until the industry adjusts. For now, it was a pleasant surprise that Atlanta Market was not the lackluster showing that some had predicted. And you could get a good chicken sandwich pretty quickly. Not a bad deal at all.

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Warren Shoulberg is the former editor in chief for several leading B2B publications. He has been a guest lecturer at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business; received honors from the International Furnishings and Design Association and the Fashion Institute of Technology; and been cited by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and other media as a leading industry expert. His Retail Watch columns offer deep industry insights on major markets and product categories.