Premiere wholesale management platform JOOR is breaking into the home sector, led by global director of sales Mark Bergadon. He tells Tableware International why the industry needs to sit up and take note…
Mark, JOOR is a major player in the wholesale marketplace industry, but what makes it different from the other retail avenues?
One of the things that sets us apart from the rest is our global reach. We have offices in 12 countries from LA to Melbourne and around the world. We work with brands and retailers from 150 different countries, transacting in 135 currencies. Those numbers continue to grow. Another important part of JOOR is our exceptional customer success team. With a retention rate of over 96 per cent, we are known for our customer partnerships.
“The Total Addressable Market of Home worldwide is over 660b and that’s a big number.”
Mark Bergadon, JOOR
We understand JOOR is expanding its reach into the homewares sector. Why?
It’s time. The Total Addressable Market of Home worldwide is over 660b and that’s a big number. We dominate the luxury apparel segment and we want to bring home brands and retailers on board that parallel our better/best/luxury ecosystem. Also, as a whole, the homewares sector has been a bit slower to adopt digital. I know, having had the privilege of being a part of this industry for my entire career. JOOR gives the homeware sector the opportunity to modernise the wholesale experience and increase ROI through a world class platform.
Why would a tableware/homewares buyer turn to JOOR over other marketplaces in the industry?
Having served the world’s most prestigious brands in fashion, we are uniquely positioned to bring this expertise to home. As I mentioned before, luxury home brands are in good company on JOOR, not only because of the ecosystem, but also because of our global reach. It’s also important to note that myself and the JOOR home team come directly from the homewares industry. We have been buyers, SVP general merchandise managers, product development directors, VPs of sales, etc… on both the brand and retail sides. Combining this with our tech expertise sets us apart from the rest.
Tell us about some of the retailers who already use JOOR to source product?
We have several retailers that use JOOR as an exclusive pro-partnership: Neiman Marcus, Selfridges, Harrods, Printemps, SSENSE, Matches to name a few … but it’s important to point out that JOOR is an agnostic platform; any retailer can use JOOR to source product and make connections with brands and we have many small and mid-sized retailers within the platform.
How important is tableware and tabletop accessories to JOOR, has it been identified as a growth area?
Very important and most definitely an area of growth. Tableware and tabletop is not only functional, it’s fashionable in the same way as apparel is fashionable. We understand the brands and retailers in this vertical having worked with and alongside the best in the world.
This interview ran in the most recent issue of Tableware International – read the rest of it HERE.
