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Exclusive! Centurion Mother’s Day Sales Index Says Mom Beats Cupid By A Huge Margin | May 14, 2014 (0 comments)
Merrick, NY—According to the latest exclusive Centurion Mothers’ Day Sales Success Index, 40% of luxury jewelers said their sales this year were up significantly (10% or more) over Mothers’ Day last year. Additionally, 60% said that Mothers’ Day typically outranks Valentine’s Day in terms of revenue generated.
60% of respondents saw some kind of gain this year for Mothers’ Day. In addition to those who saw their sales tick up more than 10%, another 15% said Mothers’ Day sales increased by 6% to 10% over 2013 figures, and another 5% posted modest gains between 1% and 5%.
10% of respondents said the holiday tracked even with last year, and 30% registered a fall-off in sales ranging from slight to significant.
How Were Your 2014 Mother's Day Sales, Compared To 2013?
Compare these figures to Valentine’s Day 2014, where an exclusive Centurion survey showed luxury jewelers’ sales gains were not quite as robust. In total, 54.1% of jewelers posted gains for Valentine’s Day, compared to the 60% who reported the same for Mothers’ Day. But 37.5% of respondents to the Valentine’s Day survey reported sales declines from 2013, more than those who reported sales declines for Mothers’ Day.
Here are the figures:
|
Holiday |
Up >10% |
5% - 9% |
Up 1% - 4% |
Even |
Down 1% - 4% |
Down 5% - 9% |
Down >10% |
|
Valentine |
20% |
24% |
8% |
8% |
4% |
16% |
20% |
|
Mother |
40% |
15% |
5% |
10% |
15% |
5% |
10% |
Customers at prestige jewelers also spent more on Mom this year. 65% of respondents reported their average ticket increased (45%) or stayed about even with last year (20%). 30% said it was lower. But it’s still a low-priced holiday: 50% of respondents said their best-selling price point was less than $500. 25% said it fell between $500 and $1,500. Only 10% said their most popular price points were higher than $1,500. Only one respondent cited a whopper sale over $10,000.
How Did Your Average Ticket For Mother's Day 2014 Compare To Last Year?
Marketing for Mom. Far and away, social media is the most widely used method for luxury jewelers to connect with customers and entice them to shop for Mom. 65% said they used Facebook or other social outlets; some simply kept up a presence there while others actively hosted contests and other incentives to shop. About 20% of respondents either relied on radio most or added it to their mix, while 15% employed word of mouth, direct mail, print media, or special promotions and events to boost sales. Many, of course, used more than one of these methods.
Here is just a sampling of Mothers' Day Facebook posts from jewelers across the country:
TV is less popular for jewelers to use for Mothers’ Day advertising than for Christmas: only 10% of jewelers surveyed used it for this holiday, compared to 26% who ran TV commercials for the holiday season.
Email, surprisingly, is not very common—only 10% of respondents sent out any kind of e-blast promoting Mothers’ Day, and even fewer than that used it for holiday-season advertising.
So what did Mom get for her special day? This is a time for fun and fashion, according to respondents. While some stores singled out diamonds as their top selling Mothers’ Day gift, most identified color and designer pieces as their strongest category for this holiday. Among designers and brands named as best sellers were Alex & Ani, Le Vian, Heather Moore, Monica Rich Kosann, John Hardy, Roberto Coin, Forevermark, and Elizabeth Locke. Not surprisingly, Pandora or other beads were a strong seller for many, but not all: one respondent wrote that Pandora sales this year actually dropped between 33% and 50%.
In terms of what pieces of jewelry sold best this year, the Centurion survey did not show a standout category. Other than brooches or watches—which no respondents cited as a best seller—sales were evenly split between earrings, rings, necklaces/pendants, and bracelets.