The rules are simple: fill in the blank and then sit back and enjoy as hundreds and hundreds of responses from other jewelers flow in. (Okay, responses from three other jewelers and editor David Squires. That's a hint jewelers! Participate. It's fun!)
In Part I of the Keeping the Christmas Momentum Going blog retail jewelers talked about indirect ways of getting customers in the store after Christmas with tempting service offers such as re-sizing rings, cleaning up jewelry in time for fancy New Year’s Eve parties and even a gift-card exchange program. In today’s blog two retailers took a more direct approach with after-Christmas sales.
A lot of premature words have been written about the “mobile retail revolution,” but here is some research that suggests we really have reached a point of historic change: According to a Motorola survey, 61 percent of retail store managers now believe that cell phones provide customers with better information than their own sales assistants. Surprisingly, or perhaps a better word is depressingly, the retail managers were even more skeptical of their staffs’ product knowledge than customers: 46 percent of Gen Y shoppers, 38 percent of Gen X shoppers and 32 percent of Boomer shoppers felt better connected to product information than associates.
A couple of stories I’ve come across recently see some trends emerging in the broader retail world, some of which could have an impact on how jewelry retailers do business — or should start doing business — and are worth sharing here.
Here's something important: Before you start your America's Coolest Stores contest entry, let's make sure you're eligible. This is especially important because the rules have changed slightly this year.
