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Leslie McGwire Let’s Talk: Jewelry Design Strategies – How to Improve the Customer Experience |  January 28, 2025 (0 comments)

LESLIE-MCGWIRE_7-2024

West Bloomfield, MI--Whether individuals are opening a new jewelry store or changing some aspects in the current one, there is a need to learn the best strategies to attract customers. Customers have different preferences, but most of them, if not all, will appreciate an appealing and comfortable jewelry store design.

Maintaining old customers and attracting new ones requires effective strategies, and one of the best strategies is improving customer experience through store interior design. While store merchandising reset involves reorganizing a store for better jewelry display and more sales. It includes space allotment, categories, other compartmentalized sections, and brands within the jewelry store.

How do you redesign a store?

If you are looking to redesign your store completely, there are some guidelines you should consider. My recommendation would be to hire an interior design company which specializes in retail and jewelry stores.

Choose the right layout

The type of layout or floor plan you choose will help you better manage customer supply and traffic. Ensure the selection of a design that fits the items that fits the cases and displays, the size of the store, and the potential customers. Good questions that should be reviewed are:

  • How many linear feet of jewelry cases do you have in the store now?
  • How many linear feet of jewelry cases do you want in the store in the future?
  • This is very important in the space planning stage.
  • Do you want wall mounted jewelry displays?
  • How many brands do you currently have? There company names and requirements.
  • Are you going to add any additional brands to the new store? If so, what are their names and requirements?

A good layout can increase sales and give customers a great experience. Store design layout or strategy should not just be about winning. As much as sales are essential, creating a great customer experience and improving the customer relationships are part of the big picture. Try to reach out to customers by evoking their deeper emotions, such as happiness. This might encourage customers to make a purchase even when they did not intend to.

Use the appropriate quantity of jewelry for cases & displays

Sometimes, there is a need to display just a percentage of specific jewelry cases (bridal, luxury, brands) and dedicate a space to keep other lines in jewelry cases for side selling approach (private labels). Therefore, the quantity of jewelry cases needed will depend on the type and quantity of jewelry sold in the store and the brands. Create enough space for all the linear square footage of jewelry needed in the cases to give customers ample open space for moving around while shopping. Too many similar pieces of jewelry in one place reduces the chances of sales due to crowds. The decompression zone is the area just after the front entrance. This area is not the best space for displaying too many luxury or valuable jewelry as customers tend to miss them when entering the store. Put fewer and less valuable jewelry in this area but more visuals and graphics that integrate the environment outside the store.

Apply the cross-merchandising strategy

With the right jewelry store floorplan design, you can increase sales by using the block placement or cross merchandise strategy. This strategy involves displaying complementary or related items with accessories. Create enough space for all the jewelry in your store to give customers ample open space for shopping around and comfortable seating with a nice checkout area (POS).  Good questions that should be reviewed are:

  • How many staff members and computers do you want at your main POS at one time? Do you want a POS or maybe a furniture piece with 2 chairs in front of the desk? This is a high-end boutique feel.
  • Do you need a separate area for wrapping gifts? Do you want to wrap the gifts in front of your client or in the back area that they cannot see it being done?
  • We can also build a custom bar that your staff members could stand behind & serv drinks..
  • How many bar stools to you see at the bar at one time. You do not need any stools if you wish?
  • Do you like curve jewelry cases or straight jewelry cases best? Or a combination of both?

Invest in good lightning

The lightning of your jewelry store is not only meant to help customers see the jewelry; it should create a contrast with the outside environment for better graphics/light boxes to improve the customer’s mood. A jewelry store owner can use different Kelvins of lighting for different areas depending on what the type of luxury jewelry wants attention on. See Pearce Jewelry Store that I designed for an excellent example of ceiling and lighting design.

[Pearce Jewelers. Photo credit: Leslie McGwire] 

Good questions that should be reviewed are:

  • Is the ceiling the same height in the entire space?
  • Ceiling height for showroom; ceiling height for back offices when completed?
  • What ceiling style will be in the showroom? (drywall) or 2 x 2 tiles?
  • What rooms in the back office will have a tile system with grids (2 x 2)?
  • Would you like to have a small drop-down ceiling around some of the jewelry cases and POS?

While the need to keep updating the merchandise display, design and color elements regularly to keep your customers hooked. The designs get stale with time, hence the need for regular changes.

Use clear signage.

It is essential to add readable and pictural signage, logo and light boxes in your store to increase purchases. See Baxter’s Fine Jewelry Store for excellent logo placement that I designed. These are well-positioned graphic elements informing the buyer of specific brands merchandise, promotions, or new arrivals. Signage can also serve as clear directional signs that help customers navigate the store easily. Most customers will enter a store based on what they saw from the outside.

[Baxter's Fine Jewelry. Photo credit: Leslie McGwire] 

Good questions that should be reviewed are:

  • What are your logo colors?
  • Do you want to incorporate the colors of your logo into the interior?
  • Are you going to change the logo or keep it currently? 
  • How many light boxes do you need? And additional signage?

A good window display will grab attention and attract customers’ flow into your store. Thus, as a jewelry store owner there should be a combination of the best visual effects, proper lightning, and high-end looking jewelry display in the windows.

No matter what type of jewelry store you are operating, having the right interior design strategies plays a big part in your success. Good questions that should be reviewed are:

  • How many jewelry benches would you like in your new space?
  • Appropriately how big would you like the jewelry benches to be?
  • Please send me measurements of the equipment that goes into the room so we can figure out how many cabinets with storage above and if you need a dirty room that is a separate room?  Please see Occasions Fine Jewelry Shop area the I designed.
  • Would like one VIP room?
  • It can be completely closed, or it can be partially open but still feel private.
  • Glass walls and doors are very popular. 
  • What configuration would be best for the store: 4 chairs, a table or a desk, or 3 chairs in the room?

[Occasions Fine Jewelry. Photo credit: Leslie McGwire] 

For all the quantity of jewelry pieces in the store, implementing these interior design strategies can increase customer traffic, relationships and encourage purchases.

About the Author: Leslie McGwire™ has over 35 years interior design, equipment, furniture sales and marketing services in retail and jewelry-based businesses. Leslie has won 25 design awards, including the prestigious Salon Today and INSTORE Jewelry Store awards. Leslie has a true passion for business, design for the jewelry and retail industries. Visit lesliemcgwire.com for more information.