Three Consumer-Based Goals for the Jewelry Industry

by Angie Ash, EVP

I have been working within the fine jewelry industry now for over 25 years. That’s a lot of time to ponder the intricacies of the business-consumer connection and what retail jewelers can do better! 

While the industry as a whole is making strides, (adopting service technology such as Podium is one example), work still needs to be done to better appeal to consumers. Here are my top three recommendations:

1. Enough already with “trunk show”. Those two words have been used by the jewelry industry seemingly forever but they sound archaic and staid to younger generations. Because they are. We all tend to forget that everyone ages. And the truth is no person currently in their 30s, who may now have some discretionary income, can relate to the words trunk show, or perhaps even know what it is. Start renaming trunk shows as special events, pop-up shops, extravaganzas, whatever. Anything but trunk shows. It’s time to move on.
2. Some of our clients are finally getting online sales here and there. We’re thrilled for them! Those who are have invested in setting up an internal process to manage online sales when they do trickle in. They’ve also taken the time to photograph their jewelry as worn on a person. I especially like roll-over shots, where you can view a product photo and then see it as worn on ears, wrists, necks, or fingers. Sometimes those photos can be closeups and other times they’re more lifestyle-related. That is oh so important when it comes to showing scale, but also to convey a feeling. The consumer can better imagine themselves or someone they love wearing the piece in a similar scenario. If you’re not selling online yet, at least start spending some time taking those lifestyle shots and showing them on your site and social media channels. It will make a world of difference to your customers.
3. Work on creating customer-facing product descriptions on your website. It’s great to make sure the copy on your site makes you sound laid back, approachable, and even fun. However, most retailer websites still reflect industry-known only product descriptions. Your potential customers understand descriptions that contain watch face, carats spelled out instead of CTW, and gemstone names. I cringe when I see convoluted, industry-speak terms on website product descriptions. Focus on your POS containing the details that pertain to your inventory and your website showing simple descriptions customers can wrap their heads around. The only that really matters is a matching SKU.

If retail jewelers can prioritize these three things, it will go a long way towards making new customers comfortable in your store. And shortening the time gap between pre-shopping you online and opening your store’s door for that try-on and purchase.