DMC Reports More Retailers & Designers Attended in 2026

Dallas Market Center statistics show the number of new buyers reached a five-year high.

Dallas Market Center (DMC) received some good news recently as its tabulations noted that more retailers and designers attended its markets than in 2025. The analysis evaluated buyer attendance across DMC’s 15-market series from January to October and found that it rose more than 3%.

According to the research, new buyers attending a market for the first time led the gain. Specifically, in 2026 new buyer attendance was up 24.4% from 2025 — the highest total in five years. New buyers accounted for 20% of attendance, up from 15% in 2022.

“Retailers and designers from the Northeast to the West Coast are choosing Dallas because one trip puts thousands of brands within reach,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of DMC. “In 2027, we’re building on that with the January’s remerchandised Temps and new resources like the Retail Ready AI education program that we’re developing for independent retailers.”

Rather than hailing from a particular region, the growth in new buyers is apparently nationwide. In 2026, attendance grew from the Northeast (+11.7%), Southeast (+6.6%), Southwest (+5.3%), Midwest (+4.4%), and West (+3.4%), based on the home region of attending buyers.

What’s Next

The year 2027 kicks off with Lightovation Design + Build Day on January 5, followed by Lightovation, January 6-9, and Total Home & Gift Market, January 6-12, with The Temps open January 6-9.

For information about all upcoming markets and events, click here or download the new, completely redesigned DMC mobile app.

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