International Market Centers (IMC) unveiled the JuniperMarket multi-line B2B eCommerce platform on Thursday (Jan. 6), bringing together buyers and sellers of 1,500 brands and 3 million products in the home decor, gifts, furniture and apparel sectors, according to a FurnitureToday report.
About half of JuniperMarket’s participating brands are home-related, while another 40% are geared at gift-givers.
“The next era of wholesale buying and selling is here,” Juniper CEO Bill Furlong said in the report. “Today is a major step towards a digital marketplace that helps buyers and sellers discover, connect and transact — in person or online — seamlessly bridging physical and digital sales.”
IMC CEO Bob Maricich said the journey to launch JuniperMarket was two years in the making.
“Despite unprecedented business disruptions, the Juniper team has forged ahead, onboarding more than 220 staff members to build, test, market and optimize a tool that is truly built for the industry, by the industry,” Maricich said. “The launch of JuniperMarket is a major milestone in delivering additional market opportunity and value for IMC customers.
“We know from years of experience in wholesale, and from extensive research in our vertical industries, that relationships are the fuel for B2B commerce. JuniperMarket is built to be inclusive to sales reps and truly additive and flexible for all.”
JuniperMarket pre-registered 26,000 users in 2021, giving them access to IMC’s database of more than 600,000 qualified retailers and designers.
JuniperCredit, which debuted in tandem with JuniperMarket, allows brands to offer net 60 terms and receive payment in two days. It also offers credit limits up to $250,000 across multiple vendors.
Related: Touch This, Look at That: Why Ikea and Other Retailers Are Going Little and Local
Target, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales are among the large retail chains that have recently opened mini-stores aimed at offering a shopping experience that is usually better in person. The so-called “little and local” trend is also being implemented at some grocery stores.
The mini-store model offers improved consumer interaction and communication, since going face-to-face helps consumers make smarter purchasing decisions.
In October, PYMNTS reported that Ikea suffered from an inventory hit in which products stored in warehouses were not moving. At the time, Ikea said it expected stock shortages to continue for another year.
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