AS COVID-19 CASES once again surge throughout the country, jewelers everywhere are quickly pivoting to prepare for a holiday shopping season shaped almost entirely by the pandemic.
How can merchants quickly prepare for the uptick in demand of the holiday season, while keeping sales high and health risks low? Here are some recommendations for staying connected with customers during a holiday shopping season reimagined.
- Go Virtual. As public health is everyone’s first concern, offer personalized virtual appointments via Zoom or FaceTime. Pull out one or two special pieces of jewelry and talk about what makes those pieces unique and special. Be sure to package the product in a very special way.
- Communicate. Take the opportunity to make a phone call and get to know the needs of your clients better. When calling clients, you can build an even stronger rapport. Keep the conversation upbeat as positive thoughts can help them feel at ease. Ask them about their upcoming celebrations–birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones–and how they plan to mark these significant moments in the future.
- Socialize. Leverage social channels, like Instagram and Facebook, as much as possible. Not only will they enable you to beautifully showcase your products, they’ll allow you to engage your customers and prospects in new ways.
- Embrace 1:1: For the jewelers and customers who are comfortable (and
allowed) in-store, it’s essential that their physical experience is optimal. Limit the number of shoppers allowed in the store and even offer 1:1 shopping appointments in order to provide the safest—and most personalized—experiences possible. Offer hand sanitizers, masks and gloves and make sure you’ve amped up your cleaning procedures.
- Keep Perspective. The jewelers we are speaking with are largely upbeat and positive. Most are up for the challenges this holiday season may present and working extra hard to over-deliver. And while free time is likely pretty limited for jewelers at this time of year, it’s important to carve out time to be with family and friends, whether in-person or virtually.
- Look Ahead. Position yourself now for the boom to come later. Consumers will want to go back to normal. Take the opportunity to clean and organize your store, rearrange it and get ready to do a grand reopening in 2021.
Lastly, don’t forget the all-important role jewels play in the holiday season. Even though this holiday season will be unlike any other, the spirit of giving (and joy of getting) remains! Jewelers are creative, resilient and customer-minded – I have no doubt that they’ll rise to this challenge.
