CanGift 365 is the solution to the shift in B2B trade markets during the COVID-19 pandemic

TORONTO, Nov. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Gift Association (CanGift) is partnering with marketplace innovator Brandwise to lead the way in wholesale ordering technology. With a strong focus on Canada’s gift and home décor industry, the platform connects wholesale suppliers and brands with retailers ready to place orders for the latest products to sell in their stores. It’s all happening digitally, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

Introducing: CanGift 365.

“The membership of our association is comprised of wholesale companies,” explains Anita Schachter, President & CEO of the Canadian Gift Association. “We’ve worked extremely hard to find a direction that will create new business opportunities across the country, and I am very pleased to say, this online platform is exclusive to Canada.”

Launching in February 2021, CanGift qualified retail buyers will be able to log in to explore brands and products from CanGift members and place orders directly through the site with the opportunity to work directly with trusted industry salespeople trained on those products.

An expansive search feature allows buyers to discover products across all brands, making this platform accessible for both small and large suppliers.

“The human connection is the core of our industry that can’t be forgotten,” says Schachter. “With the cancellation of our in-person trade events because of the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a virtual commerce opportunity was as essential as keeping that personal touch.”

“We are honoured to partner with the Canadian Gift Association and their stakeholders,” says Todd Litzman, Co-Founder and CEO of Brandwise. “We have a long history of working with Canadian partners including hundreds of CanGift members who have been part of our ecosystem for many years.” 

In addition to the safety and convenience of ordering directly from the comfort of your own store, office, or home, CanGift 365 enhances the relationship between retailers, wholesale suppliers, salespeople, agencies, and the gift industry as a whole. Additional benefits include a low barrier to entry for wholesale companies, access to thousands of products across hundreds of wholesale suppliers and the incorporation of the Brandwise 2.0 architecture. 

The CanGift 365 marketplace provides a foundation for membership within the association and enhances the future of their in-person trade shows. With Brandwise’s experience in training, technical and show support and operations expertise behind this initiative, the digital platform can also be used for face-to-face order capturing, making it a timeless opportunity for all participants.

This opportunity is available exclusively for CanGift Gold Members.

About the Canadian Gift Association

CanGift is the voice of Canada’s giftware industry, connecting wholesale companies to retail store buyers at the Toronto and Alberta Gift + Home Markets. These B2B events are regularly attended by a combined 25,000+ annual retail buyers looking to place orders, source the latest trends and learn from industry experts.

About Brandwise

Brandwise was born from their founders’ need for a better way to handle the burden of processing paper orders after a busy market. Twenty-three years later, they are internationally known and are trusted with managing a vast portion of the business activity in the gift and home décor industries. Still working hard to bring new and innovative solutions to the wholesale community, at Brandwise, their mission is to empower and simplify the order process by providing sales creation and enablement technology to manage and grow their clients’ businesses and the collective future of the industry.

For additional information, please contact:

Nicole Hilton
Chief Marketing Officer
Canadian Gift Association
nhilton@cangift.org

Brittany Pleshcan
Marketing Specialist
Canadian Gift Association
bpleshcan@cangift.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f2dcc48d-1a99-423e-9e01-f2383abdca22