Blish-Mize Fall Buying Market Builds on Attendance Growth

The Blish-Mize Fall Buying Market brought retailers and vendors to Overland Park, Kansas, with attendance tracking ahead of last fall as retailers sought new products, market specials and buying opportunities.

Held Sept. 17-19 at the Overland Park Convention Center, the market featured 29 new vendors, including 17 added by Blish-Mize within the past six months.

Retailers Remain Positive

Despite economic uncertainty and rising fuel costs, Blish-Mize chairman and CEO Jonathan Mize says retailers at the market remained positive about their businesses.

“Our customers are pretty positive with everything going on economically,” Mize says. “There’s a lot of concern out there right now with fuel prices the way they are.”

Fuel prices have become a frequent topic among Blish-Mize customers and vendors, adding another cost pressure for retailers. Mize says conditions vary from market to market, with some retailers continuing to perform well while others remain more cautious.

Those concerns have not translated into a major shift in purchasing behavior, says Kyle Davis, Blish-Mize vice president of business relations. While some retailers are watching inventory levels and purchasing more conservatively, Davis says the company has not seen significant changes in how customers are buying.

New Vendors Added to Market

Attendance at the 2026 Fall Buying Market was also tracking ahead of the 2025 event. Last year’s fall market also surpassed attendance from the previous year as retailers sought special pricing amid uncertainty around tariffs and product costs.

This year, Blish-Mize added 29 new vendors to the market floor, giving retailers access to additional products and brands. Sarah Lee, Blish-Mize vice president of purchasing, says 17 of those vendors joined Blish-Mize within the past six months.

The distributor has also expanded several product categories and brought back recognizable brands to its assortment.

Lee says vendors continued to offer competitive market pricing despite the current economic pressures.

“They still brought great, competitive pricing,” Lee says. “A lot of our events have big discounts, so it hasn’t seemed to hinder their ability to discount promotionally.”

The mix of new vendors, expanded categories and market specials gave retailers additional opportunities to evaluate products and take advantage of pricing available during the event.

Building Repeat Attendance

Blish-Mize continued its Season Ticket program, which debuted at the Spring 2025 Buying Market. The program rewards retailers who attend consecutive markets with additional promotions, exclusive buying opportunities and prize drawings at the markets and throughout the year.

“It’s a great incentive to get customers to come to both shows,” says Clay Uhrmacher, Blish-Mize vice president of sales and marketing.

Ellie Bowman, manager of Prickly Pear Farm, Home & Lumber in Elkhart, Kansas, says the additional benefits provide another incentive for retailers who qualify for the program.

“The season ticket thing is nice to have that extra dating and extra discounts,” Bowman says.

While the program remains relatively new, Uhrmacher says Blish-Mize continues to educate customers on its benefits and add promotions and giveaways for qualifying retailers.

For Bowman, the value of attending the market also comes from connecting with others in the industry and seeing what is new.

“I like seeing all the people,” Bowman says. “It’s the one time a year, or two times a year, where you get to come see other retailers, make connections, see all your brand reps and see all the new things.”

Expanded Digital Tools

Technology also continues to change how retailers shop the market.

The distributor’s internally developed buying market app allows retailers to organize purchases, find market deals and scan products directly from the show floor. Some retailers arrive with orders prepared in the app, but physical orders are still an option.

“The app has really evolved over the years,” Uhrmacher says. “It’s gone from being more of a market guide to a complete buying tool that customers can use throughout the show.”

Blish-Mize also recently refreshed its public website for the first time in roughly 15 years. The distributor made related updates to its customer login area with a focus on making products easier to find and streamlining online ordering.

Blish-Mize continues to add vendors, buying incentives and digital tools as it looks to bring more value to retailers attending its twice-yearly markets.