IF YOU ARE SEARCHING for displays and packaging that go beyond the functional, the marketplace this year is brimming with new ideas. The unexpected, outstanding, delightful, beautiful and clever filled the JCK Las Vegas expo. From the immediacy of attention-getting to the lasting impact of memorability, jewelry marketers and retailers have options for conveying a brand and creating an experience.
Here are the key trends to watch among display and packaging exhibitors:
Color is Colorful
Mixed color gems, enamels and metals are a major jewelry trend — an idea that is carrying through to displays and packaging. Rich velvets have made a comeback on displays and boxes. Under newer LED lighting, darker shades of navy and slate gray help gold and colored gems pop. The soft neutrals that have dominated the industry continue to be strong with added textures and subtle gradated tones, moirés and ombrés instilling a sophisticated sense of luxury.
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The Showcase as a Show
Compelling open space and custom lighting of clean, modern wood frames around recessed blocks of color is how Adria Lanham, the design director at Bufkor, used windows to highlight packaging and displays. The simplicity reflects a refreshed philosophy and design approach with just enough style to set the stage. Box Brokers Group showed a wide variety of design techniques, materials and production capabilities. What struck me was the detail of a ring slot wrapped in color-coordinated bengaline — subtly set into suede and leather trays. What appeared as an aesthetic use of contrasting materials served a much greater function. Bengaline is a material that resists ink-stains that result from price tags inserted into the slot and pen marks. Wood laminated surfaces contrasted with satin-finished steel frames and conveyed modernity that reflected trends in home furnishings at Alfa Box. They also set off the drama of clean tall window neck forms, in suede done in natural tans and creams.
Bufkor 2019 JCK booth
Box Brokers Group 2019 JCK booth
Alpha Box 2019 JCK booth
Alpha Box 2019 JCK booth
System of Touch and Touches
Shoppers who touch products are more likely to buy them — 40% to 60% more likely — and they are willing to pay more, according to “The Power of Touch,” a study of consumer buying behavior. For displays, it means finding ways to bring consumers through the glass. The use of colors, textures, risers, props and other “touches” creates focal points and draws attention along the customer’s journey. Thinking of the shopping experience as a designed and branded system that goes from overall store ambiance to displays, to in-case details and top of counter pads is a way to create a deliberate and cohesive experience that moves the jewelry closer to the customer, culminating in interaction that can make the sale.
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Small Is Big
Wedding rings continue to drive profits for many in the jewelry business.
The box it comes in is an important part of the proposal and wedding experience. Elegant and small is a major trend. The Jewelers Box, based in London, makes bespoke ring boxes with small leather coffrets like the Italian one in which my dad kept his cufflinks. Naturally dyed leathers in luxe colors are embossed for a rich artisanal package experience in both stock and custom options. Of all the boxes at the show, the company had the tiniest and most precious. At Gunther Mele, a darling box dubbed “The Sweet Heart Box,” is done in vintage velvets of amethyst, berry, blush and teal, hinged for those popping the question. As CEO Darrell King explained to me, it “speaks to romance and heirloom.”
Ring boxes from The Jewelers Box
Ring boxes from The Jewelers Box
Ring boxes from Gunther Mele
Ring boxes from Gunther Mele
Useful Interactivity
Tech is a much talked about trend and has been for years, however, this year’s show focused on technology that is actually useful for retailers. An example is Gunther Mele’s display app that helps you create layouts for your showcases, allowing you to interactively swap out counter pads, risers and other elements — calculating costs as you go. You can also create a box or design a bag. All of it is easy, changeable and quick, with stress-free ordering.
Flexible and Dynamic: Alex Velvet has long been a first stop for retailers in search of new ideas in displays and packaging. Owner, Koko Alexanian showed how newness can be subtle and compelling with sculptural shapes, neck-forms, and fresh metallic fabric finishes. Koko also shared clever ways of instantly creating completely different looks by flipping around window panels in an array of dynamic colors and subtle natural tones and textures.
Capturing attention and creating lasting impact are how jewelry brands and retailers win in the marketplace. Exhibitors at JCK Las Vegas truly delivered this year with inspiring new ideas at every price point.
ALEX VELVET GALLERY (5 Images)
