Sep 29, 2021

IMC opens registration for its October Market Insights webinar

As retailers enter the busy fourth quarter, International Market Centers (IMC) is encouraging an examination of the unique value that individual stores bring to local communities in its Market Insights: The Art and Science of Store Checks presented by Michelle Lamb & Leigh Ann Schwarzkopf of The Trend Curve, Oct. 5.

“With consumers returning to in-person retail, it is more important than ever for retailers understand how they fit into the retail offerings in their communities for both differentiation and collaboration opportunities,” said Dorothy Belshaw, executive vice president, chief customer and marketing officer for IMC. “As we move into the holiday season, we have tapped the talented team at The Trend Curve to teach retailers what comparables to look for in other stores, how to discern elements of success and how to use those learning to create new relationships and grow profit.”

The Art and Science of Store Checks

The Art and Science of Store Checks covers reviewing retail stores in two parts.

1. Who, why and how

First, Lamb and Schwarzkopf will detail the who, why and how of store checks – visiting and researching other retail locations to learn about their businesses – and how to make retail reconnaissance easy.

2. Best practices

Next, Lamb and Schwarzkopf will drill down on best practices – clever products, modern messaging, ingenious packaging, licensing opportunities and trend topics – that can make seasonal and everyday assortments more profitable.

The Trend Curve

The Trend Curve is the official blog of Marketing Directions, an international authority for trends in the home furnishings industry that assists retailers, interior designers and suppliers in making manufacturing and buying decisions with trend reports, color forecasts, consulting and speaking services.

Lamb is co-founder and chairman of Marketing Directions and editorial director of The Trend Curve trade newsletter and blog, which forecasts trends in color, pattern and design as well as The Trend Curve Colors™ color-and-trend forecasts and The Trend Album™ European trade show report.

Schwarzkopf is the co-founder of Project Partners Network, which consults with some of the world’s largest corporations to find unexpected, innovative and inspired opportunities to promote differentiation and business growth.

The Art and Science of Store Checks, is a free, one-hour webinar on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, 10:00 a.m. PDT/1:00 p.m. EDT. Attendees will earn 1 CEU. Registration is now open.

November Market Insights

The next Market Insights sessions are Staging is NOT Just for Houses for Sale on Nov. 10, 2021 and a discussion of fixed-wire lighting for designers in December 2021.

Future Markets

• October Atlanta Apparel, Oct. 12-16, 2021
• High Point Market, Oct. 16-20, 2021
• Fall Cash & Carry at AmericasMar, Nov.r 2-4, 2021
• Las Vegas Design Center Fall Sample Sale, Nov. 10-12, 2021

Year-Round Showroom Resources

The Open Year-Round showroom resources are available Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at AmericasMart and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Las Vegas Design Center. Buyers also can source and shop – anytime and everywhere – via JuniperMarket, a new B2B e-commerce marketplace powered by IMC, which launches in 2021.

Juniper

IMC has more than 60 years of relationships and experience creating scalable business platforms for wholesale commerce. With the launch of Juniper, a fully integrated omnichannel B2B commerce solution and multiline B2B e-commerce marketplace, IMC now provides an omnichannel sales and marketing platform that seamlessly connects physical and digital wholesale commerce. For more information, visit www.imcenters.com.