Observations

RAPAPORT… In a recent presentation to the industry, the Diamond Promotion Service (DPS) addressed the issue of jewelry facing competition from other product categories — most notably electronics. Who would have ever thought that the day would come when women would be more interested in buying a plasma television than getting jewelry? In its research, the DPS found that jewelry shopping was not the pleasurable experience that shoppers expect. Chief among the complaints is that jewelry stores are intimidating, boring and filled with merchandise that all looks the same. The alarm clock just sounded. Time to wake up, flash the bling and move into the twenty-first century. Shopping is no longer just a matter of going in and buying something; it is a recreational activity and jewelers need to get on the bus and go for the ride… the ride to making jewelry shopping fun again. How? Start with merchandising — make the jewelry interesting to look at with inventive displays, instead of just a bunch of pieces sitting in the window. Try an Easter basket filled with chocolate eggs and jewels. Have a friendly sales staff that can talk about all aspects of jewelry, from where a stone is mined to how a piece is made to the biography of a designer. Talk about jewelry history. Show movies with jewel themes: “Romancing the Stone,” “To Catch a Thief,” “The Pink Panther.” Have jewelry-making demos. Show customers the most fashionable must-have pieces of jewelry, such as Diamond Right Hand Rings, which have lots of styles in a variety of looks. Let your imagination run wild, have fun…it’s contagious.

Amber Michelle
Editor-in-Chief