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Product And Service News: Paid2Post Offers Jewelers Free Online Stores; New Additions From Fope April 27, 2016 (0 comments)
Fope Adds New Designs To Popular Collections
Milan, Italy—The popularity of Fope’s Solo and Vendôme collections has prompted the brand to add new style variations. The Solo rondels have been redesigned so the surface is divided into two separate zones of light. The new rondel is available in white gold, and is used on all pieces of the collection in odd numbers (three, five or seven), with total carat weights ranging from 0.17 to 0.5.
The Vendôme collection now offers a greater sense of movement. New white gold rondels, again set in threes, fives or sevens, feature a light mark—almost a brushstroke—on top, creating a sinuous interlude in the classic Fope weave.
A new Vendôme bracelet and Solo earrings in rose gold and diamond, from Fope.
The newer Eka Tiny collection is an easily recognizable Fope chain, yet new. Additions to the line include natural colored gemstones in bracelets, rings, and necklaces of various lengths. All can be worn on their own or stacked. Eka Tiny now also includes the addition of two large pendants in round (0.46 ctw.) and drop (0.63 ctw.) styles.
Ad campaign featuring the Eka Tiny collection from Fope.
Paid2Post Allows Jewelers to Build Free Online Stores
San Dimas, CA—E-commerce is growing at an exponential rate, yet less than ¼ of jewelers are selling online, eclipsed by mega-sellers like Amazon and Blue Nile.
Paid2Post (www.Paid2Post.com) is a new patent-pending ecommerce platform for the jewelry industry that offers a free, customizable web store at the click of a mouse. Developed by Chi Huynh, owner of Galatea: Jewelry by Artist, Paid2Post is designed to take back online sales for both suppliers and retailers. The system will debut at the 2016 JCK Show in Las Vegas. Watch an explanatory video here.
Paid2Post links suppliers and their products directly with retailers. Retailers can select product from a community of wholesalers by a simple request (think “friending” on Facebook). A wholesaler is free to select its own regulations for what constitutes an authorized retailer, such as requiring a certain amount of in-store product. But as soon as the wholesaler hits “accept,” the retailer’s selected inventory immediately populates the store. Retailers are protected by zip code (one store per), and all consumer sales are commissionable for the area. A key social media component also allows consumers to reap a commission from posting products, incentivizing the promotion process and creating avid jewelry fans in the process.
“Jewelers are in dire need of a solution,” says Huynh. “Things are changing more quickly than anyone expected, which is why I believe Paid2Post is the solution for today’s jewelers who want to have an online presence but either don’t know how to go about doing it, or can’t spend the money needed to create a store from scratch.”
Membership is free for retailers and suppliers. The retailer’s customizable page can be promoted as its own URL, by a badge on the jeweler’s home page, or through the Paid2Post site. Jewelers can track orders, answer questions and check on customer deliveries, which are either shipped directly by Paid2Post to the customer or delivered to the store for personal pick-up.
There are four ways for consumers to enter into the Paid2Post system: Through the retailer’s store; through the wholesaler or supplier’s store; through the Paid2Post website; or through an individual’s social media site. Payments are split between the jewelry manufacturer, retailer and Paid2Post. Full wholesale value of the jewelry is paid to the supplier. A 20% commission is paid to Paid2Post. The remaining profit goes to the retailer. If a jeweler is not assigned to customer’s zip code, the supplier may assign a retailer to access the commission or may keep the commission for themselves.
Paid2Post manages all orders and online payments. Returns are accepted within 30 days of shipment receipt.
Consumers can reap a commission should their online image post result in a sale. Special embedded product images, available for download from the Paid2Post website, can be shared and tracked on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr, This photo-sharing system gives an incentive to anyone who wants to earn extra money from the sale of a piece of jewelry. Commissions to individuals will be 10% of the selling price.
Paid2Post is designed to raise online and offline visibility for retailers. “The world is changing and the jewelry industry must change along with it,” says Huynh. “We can’t sit by and see sales slip away, hoping that it will stop. It won’t. Consumers are buying online now more than ever. This is a way for the industry to join together to have a piece of the online ‘pie’ for ourselves.”