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Brand And Industry News: Goldman’s New Express Bridal Program; Signet’s Downsizing; More March 14, 2018 (0 comments)
Frederick Goldman Launches Express Program For Scott Kay And ArtCarved Brands
New York, NY—Frederick Goldman Inc. (FGI) is launching a One-Week Bridal Express program for two of its most important brands, Scott Kay and ArtCarved. The programs feature over 170 styles of engagement rings in 14k white and yellow gold that can be made to order and shipped within one week. The selection includes a wide range of both brands’ best-selling designs and represent all of the distinctive collections within both brands.
To support the program, FGI has created easy-to-use reference booklets for the Scott Kay and ArtCarved engagement ring collections, with pictures of all the rings and detailed directions for placing custom orders. The Frederick Goldman B2B site also features all express programs with dedicated buttons to further allow quick access and ease of use for customers.
“The launch of our One-Week Bridal Express service programs further fulfills our mission to be the best partner for our retailers now and in the future,” said Jonathan Goldman, CEO. “Meeting the immediate gratification needs of the millennial consumer in a way that retailers can depend on every day, is our focus.”
The Bridal Express service programs for Scott Kay and ArtCarved join the Goldman Xpress Wedding Band program launched in September 2017. That program features same-day shipping on over 250 best-selling wedding bands, with a 100% on-time shipping record.
“We are always looking to meet the next challenge facing our retail partners: driving conversation, solving their problems, and increasing the ease with which they do business with their clients” said Goldman.
New Tech Company Gives Jewelers' Store Landline Phones Text Capability
Carmel, IN--Captivated is a new technology company delivering groundbreaking software that turns a jeweler's business landline into a two-way text-capable communication channel. Here it is why it is applicable to jewelers:
- Less than 3% of the links in an email you send are clicked on.
- Over 80% of the phone calls you make to them are screened and go right to voicemail.
- 98% of texts are opened and responded to in 90 seconds or less.
Text has become embedded in our culture and is the preferred channel for communication. For this reason, Captivated built a texting platform that is specific to jewelers, to help sell more and service customers more efficiently.
Here is how it works. People can start a text communication with you from your website, your Google My Business listing, Apple Business, or even a kiosk located in the store. Conversely, you can text them from your desktop or mobile device without ever exposing anything more than the main landline for your business. The application does not require any special app for the customer. They simply send or respond from their normal text messaging on an iPhone or Andriod device.
These texts are all driven into an inbox similar to email. Here you can respond about the status of their repair, text a condition report, invoice, even send a secure payment link through Apple pay, Samsung pay, PayPal, or any major credit card.
Think of it as a supercharged inbox, says Chris Bedard of Captivated. "From this inbox, you will have a series of prebuilt templates for routine communication and you can transfer a text from sales to support. When you are texting from your personal mobile device, the customer only sees the main business landline number. You can conduct business anytime, anywhere."
Here is a view of Captivated’s solution in an operational environment, names removed for privacy:
Here is what one jeweler has to say about the Captivated retail text platform:
“We choose to implement the Captivated two-way landline texting solution in the hope we could migrate more of our customers to texting as opposed to phone calls. Our thought was that this channel would be preferred by them and save us time. Now our main landline is two-way text capable and customers can initiate text contact with us from our website as well as Schwanke Kasten's Google My Business listing.
"All of our outbound communication has moved to text for everything from repair updates to sales. We have appreciated significant time savings and to our surprise jewelry sales has followed suit. In short, what used to be an endless game of phone tag has been reduced to a single text or two. For this reason, we endorse the Captivated text solution for any retail business, especially jewelers," says Tom Dixon, owner of Milwaukee, WI-based Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers.
The "text us" button at lower right puts customers in immediate contact with Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers.
For more information, visit www.captivated.works or text or call Chris Bedard, (608) 213-9161, or email chirs@captivated.works to schedule a demonstration.
Signet's "Path To Brilliance" To Include 200+ Store Closings
Akron, OH--An aggressive new three-year turnaround plan, dubbed "The Signet Path To Brilliance," was unveiled by Signet's executives during the company's earnings call Wednesday. But for many Signet employees, that path is more likely to lead to the unemployment line.
The beleaguered retailer, entering its first full fiscal year under the leadership of new CEO Virginia Drosos, is seeking to turn around a 9% Q4 drop in sales and 7% year-on-year drop in sales at its Sterling division, which includes the Kay and Jared marquees as well as other regional store brands in the United States. The Zale division posted a 4% gain in sales for Q4 2017, but a 2% decline for the year as a whole.
In introducing the "Path To Brilliance" plan, Drosos said it will include an aggressive look at the company's physical footprint. The anticipated result is that more than 200 doors, or about 6% of its stores, will be closed by the end of fiscal 2019, along with the phaseout of its regional brand stores. About three-fourths of the closings will be in malls that have more than one Signet property.
Jewelers of America Announces CASE Award Winners
New York, NY – Jewelers of America (JA) announces the winners of its 28th annual CASE Awards, a national jewelry design competition for JA retail members.
The winners were determined by a judging panel of industry experts who evaluated the entries on the basis of overall design, marketability, practicality and wearability, and quality of manufacture.
The winners were:
Up to $2,000 retail: C3 Designs, South Milwaukee, WI, for a sterling silver and 14K yellow gold pendant with a hand-carved raw Selenite crystal accented by grossular garnet, green tourmalines, and andalusite. It was designed by Chris Jensen.
$2,000 - $5,000 retail: Ricardo Basta Fine Jewelry, Los Angeles, CA, for a natural golden rutilated quartz and 18K yellow gold ring designed by Ricardo Basta:
Faye Kim Designs, Westport, CT, won two categories: a coral and diamond pendant ($5,000-$10,000 retail) and an 18K green gold alloy bracelet (over $10,000).
This year, JA debuted the “People’s Choice” CASE Award, determined by the public voting on JA’s website from March 5-9. The winner was Master Jewelers, Inc., Rochester, MN, for a Madeira citrine pendant in 14K white gold, designed by Bernie Benavidez:
“The CASE Awards showcases the creativity and expertise of designers in Jewelers of America member retail stores across the country,” says JA president and CEO David J. Bonaparte. The awards, sponsored by Synchrony Financial and Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group, are open only to JA Retail Members and their employees. For more information, visit www.jewelers.org/caseawards.
GIA To Demonstrate Synthetic Diamond Testing Machine In Basel
Carlsbad, CA--Throughout the Baselworld trade show in Switzerland (March 22-27), GIA will offer live demonstrations of the GIA iD100 gem testing device that distinguishes natural diamonds from synthetics and diamond stimulants. The device will be on display at Stand W23 in Hall 2.0.
The Baselworld trade show is the first time the GIA iD100 gem testing device will be demonstrated at a trade show in Europe. This device uses advanced spectroscopic technology to distinguish natural diamonds from synthetic diamonds (both HPHT and CVD) and diamond stimulants in the colorless to near-colorless range, mounted and loose, rough and cut, in sizes starting from 0.9 millimeters in diameter.
In addition, the GIA Show Service Laboratory in Hall 3.0, Stand A03, will offer colored stone services during the show, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and until 2 p.m. March 27. Show attendees can submit stones for GIA Colored Stone Identification Report, and GIA Colored Stone Identification and Origin Report services. Stones are tested on a first-come, first-served basis; service time can vary depending on when items are submitted. When services are completed, clients will be notified by phone, email, or text to pick up their stones and temporary reports. Final reports will be mailed within two to three weeks. Diamond and pearl report services will not be available.
For more information on the colored stone service, click here or call +1 800 421 7250 ext. 4517 or +1 760 603 4517. For more information on the GIA iD100 visit https://www.GIA.edu/id100. Those interested in purchasing the device can email giastore@gia.ediu.
Finally, information about the GIA Retailer Support Program will be available at the show. It offers retailers the use of GIA signage, and educational counter displays and brochures to bring GIA information about diamonds, colored stones and pearls into the conversation at the store counter. Stop by GIA’s booths for a complimentary copy of GIA’s book, The Passion of Colored Stones, a new 48-page book covering informative topics like colored stone quality factors, geographical sources and treatment information, with beautiful images for 18 of the most popular colored stones. Free copies will be available while supplies last and the book will also be available through the Retailer Support Program website. The Retailer Support Program also offers material that can be used in advertising, and on a retailer’s website and social media pages, as well as a series of training modules retailers can use with their staff. For more information, click here.