(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — On March 16 at 2 p.m. Eastern, The Plumb Club presents the next launch event in the series of inaugural presentations in the Jewelers Resource Center.
During the past few years, jewelry retailers have seen seismic changes in both how they must do business and changing habits of their customers. From the growing importance of digital and e-commerce, to the constraints of a pandemic, to shifting consumer expectations, the retailer has had to navigate an ever changing obstacle course to get the sale. How have savvy retailers been able to flex tactics and shift strategy on a dime to ensure their bottom lines are met?
An experienced and successful panel from retail, sales training, and the publishing sectors illustrate how reaching and interacting with a customer has changed in the past few decades. Each will provide insight and proven success strategies on how a retailer can reach customers, meet their changing needs, manage unforeseen obstacles and turn consumers into customers-for-life, despite a changing environment. Panelists include:
- Alex Hevia Schlindwein is a third-generation jeweler who serves as the marketing director for her family business, Kiefer Jewelers, a 2-store chain in Tampa, FL. Over the past few years under her marketing guidance, the company has revamped the website, lowered purchase barriers for e-commerce and augmented the online customer experience. As early adapters to new technology, they have also concentrated on social media tactics across various platforms to develop community and drive sales. The overwhelming result has been a tripling of sales.
- Suzanne Martinez is a highly credentialed senior gemologist, jewelry appraiser, jewelry historian and co-owner of Lang, which opened in San Francisco in 1969. Under her guidance, the company has benefitted from the early adoption of e-commerce, human resource cross training, social media, email and virtual communication, which has resulted in Lang becoming one of the most renowned estate jewelers in the world, growing substantially in the past few years despite the pandemic.
- Kate Peterson has over 40 years’ experience in the business world, in every capacity of sales, management, operations and training in companies ranging in size from 1 to 1000 locations and has held senior operations and training executive positions for a variety of top retailers before founding Performance Concepts in 1998. Along with her Performance Concepts’ team, Kate provides training and business consultation services to retailers, manufacturers and trade organizations worldwide.
- Trace Shelton began writing for INSTORE, a business publication for retail jewelers, in 2003, and joined the team full time in August 2004. He was named editor-in-chief of sister publication INDESIGN in 2007 and became editor-in-chief of INSTORE in 2016. Before coming to work for INSTORE, Trace spent six years as a marketing consultant for independent retailers.
Following the presentation retail attendees will be given the opportunity to participate in a fun scavenger hunt and potentially receive multiple prizes that range from Dom Perignon champagne and Godiva chocolate to facilitated in store sales training and an expert website analysis and report.
To sign up for the inaugural presentations and events, or to take a virtual tour and learn more about the Jewelers Resource Center, visit here.