IMC Expands Marketing and Customer Outreach Teams to Prioritize Omnichannel Business Needs

International Market Centers (IMC) recently announced a significant expansion of its customer outreach, marketing and brand strategy teams to support the company’s rapid development of omnichannel solutions for the gift, home and apparel industries. The company-wide and customercentric strategy includes the expansion of its buyer services and customer success teams as well as the creation of a new brand strategy team dedicated to supporting the launch of its Juniper suite of digital solutions, powered by IMC_di (IMC’s Digital Innovations division).

“As IMC’s business transforms to include all channels of commerce – from physical markets to digital solutions – these organizational investments will help us engage more personally and effectively with our customers so we can better understand and meet their evolving business needs,” said Dorothy Belshaw, chief customer and marketing officer for IMC. “We are doubling down on IMC’s core mission – connecting buyers and sellers – by offering year-round opportunities for recovery and growth at both physical and digital markets.”

Commitment to All Customers – Buyers and Sellers

As a keystone of this effort, long-time retailer Mary S. Moore joins IMC as senior vice president omnichannel buyer engagement, reporting to Belshaw, with responsibility for strategic oversight of IMC’s buyer outreach across its physical and digital channels. IMC’s existing team of buyer services specialists, led by gift industry veteran Cindy Henry, will report to Moore and will double in size to support one-to-one buyer outreach on a broad scale, with continued focus on long-standing relationships with more than 75 national buying groups and thousands of key retail accounts in the gift, home furnishings, housewares and apparel industries.

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To accelerate and communicate this industry-first omnichannel offering and develop a cohesive strategy across physical and digital, IMC will add a dedicated Juniper digital brand team aligned with IMC’s existing brand strategy teams. All four of IMC’s brand strategy teams will report to IMC’s senior vice president, Karen Olson, leveraging her 25 years of brand marketing experience and ensuring strategic alignment and integration with IMC’s physical markets.

Additionally, IMC_di (IMC’s Digital Innovations division) will expand its customer success team to ease vendor adoption of JuniperMarket as well as the full Juniperbranded suite of solutions for sales and marketing automation, data and customer management and B2B ecommerce websites. Headed by senior director Marisa Garcia, the team’s current responsibilities for account manage-

JuniperWeb Launches First B2B Site for Gift & Home Industry

JuniperWeb, an ecommerce website development tool powered by IMC_di (International Market Center’s digital innovations division), has launched www.bethanylowe.com – its first proprietary B2B site for the gift and home industry.

“JuniperWeb is off and running!” said Eric Dean, IMC_di President. “JuniperWeb is our first next-generation product in the Juniper Suite and it’s exciting to see it live and delivering results for a great brand like Bethany Lowe.”

Launched in August 2020, JuniperWeb builds proprietary ecommerce websites for wholesale vendors and sales representatives, enabling online product sales through an individually-branded B2B website. It is cost effective, easy to maintain and integrates with the full suite of Juniper digital solutions – JuniperMarket (B2B digital marketplace), JuniperWeb (ecommerce websites), JuniperData (data hub – upload data once and share anywhere), JuniperSales (sales applications) and JuniperCRM (inside sales tools and CRM applications).

According to Dean, there are dozens of new B2B ecommerce websites progressing through JuniperWeb’s development and delivery pipeline. For information, visit www.JuniperCommerce.com. ❖ ment, customer onboarding and customer support, extend to include integration services, to its overall customer success efforts.

IMC_di’s product and design team also expands to support development of newly upgraded IMC market websites as well as Juniper products. Tripp Regan, a long-time member of IMC’s digital marketing team will assume the new role of vice president of product and design. Regan and Garcia both report to senior vice president Brandon Ward who has spearheaded digital innovation at IMC since joining the company in 2017.

Teddy Pekalski, will assume the role of senior director and head of Juniper Sales. In line with accelerated demand and launch timelines, the sales department will be expanded by 30%.

JuniperMarket “Preview Pods” Facilitate Buyer Registration For New E-Commerce Platform at IMC’s Physical Markets

Buyers Registering Before and During Market Qualify to Win iPads

In preparation for the 2021 launch of JuniperMarket, a new B2B e-commerce marketplace for the gift, home and apparel industries, IMC_di (International Market Centers’ Digital Innovations division) will host a series of activities for buyers at IMC’s upcoming markets in Atlanta and Las Vegas. As an added benefit, buyers who signup for JuniperMarket at Atlanta Market (January 12-19 at AmericasMart Atlanta) or Las Vegas Market (April 11-15 at World Market Center Las Vegas) will qualify to win iPads and other prizes.

“These at-market activations, which are just the first of many opportunities for the industry to join JuniperMarket, are also the easiest because buyers can leverage their market badges to register easily and without additional forms or credentialing,” said Eric Dean, IMC_di President. “Onsite visibility at the Atlanta and Las Vegas markets gives the industry a sneak peek at JuniperMarket and also allows us to demonstrate the ways JuniperMarket bridges IMC’s physical and digital markets, allowing buyers to source and shop anytime and everywhere.”

Open daily during Market hours, the JuniperMarket “Preview Pods” will provide a dynamic visual overview of the new B2B ecommerce marketplace. Graphics, signage and live demonstrations will provide prospective buyers with a preview of the new purchasing platform, its functionality and its connectivity to IMC’s physical markets.

For more information, visit www.AtlantaMarket.com and www. LasVegasMarket.com. ❖

Atlanta Next Inspires Atlanta Market Gift Updates

Thirty New, Expanded and Relocated Showrooms Set to Open in Winter 2021

ATLANTA

Atlanta Market continues to refine and remerchandise its gift collection in the lead up to its Winter 2021 staging with three new showrooms and 27 expanded and relocated showrooms opening since its last winter event. Complementing these updates is nearly 100 showrooms which have recommitted to the market with lease extensions. Together these brands will present a vibrant and intuitive marketplace January 12-19, 2021.

“Gift brands are committed to At- lanta Market,” noted Scott Eckman, International Market Centers chief revenue officer. “They know that this market is the place to reach East Coast retailers, so they are opening new showrooms, expanding and