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Here’s a Technology to Help Even the Playing Field with Internet Diamond Sellers

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The collective groan from brick-and-mortar jewelry retailers regarding the power and allure of internet diamond sellers has grown ever louder over the past few years.INSTORE VirtualDiamondBoutique Graphic2

Sometimes, the best way to fight fire is with fire – in this case, some internet power of your own. Last summer at the JCK Show, I was able to demo the new Virtual Diamond Boutique app and I walked away incredibly impressed. VDB will be showing at the upcoming Centurion Show in Scottsdale; if you’re planning on going (or even if you’re not), here’s why you should give this app a test run.

First off, it’s free. The app, available for iPad, iPhone and Android, allows store owners to search thousands of diamonds based on a variety of possible parameters like budget, shape, carat weight, color and clarity from easy-to-navigate display. Searches can be saved and “collections” can be created in order to personalize a selection of diamonds for a particular client. Retailers can even pre-program the markup they want so that clients see the price they want to charge. The availability of any given stone is updated in real time. It’s the pinnacle of internet technology at no cost to you.

Second, the visuals of the app are surprisingly clear and comprehensive. Each diamond comes with a high-definition image and most also include a 360-degree video so that salespeople can show the client exactly what the diamond looks like, making it far less likely for the store to waste time and money bringing in diamonds that the client may not like. The app also includes a visual image of any attached lab reports for each diamond.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this technology is available to certified trade professionals only – the public does not have access to it. In order to download the app for your platform, you must first provide trade credentials, which are checked by the company, before they will issue your password.

If this sounds like an ad, it’s not – I was personally impressed by the technology and I think we have many readers out there who could benefit from giving it a shot. Check it out at www.vdbapp.com and decide for yourself.

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Retiring? Let Wilkerson Do the Heavy Lifting

Retirement can be a great part of life. As Nanji Singadia puts it, “I want to retire and enjoy my life. I’m 78 now and I just want to take a break.” That said, Nanji decided that the best way to move ahead was to contact the experts at Wilkerson. He chose them because he knew that closing a store is a heavy lift. To maximize sales and move on to the next, best chapter of his life, he called Wilkerson—but not before asking his industry friends for their opinion. He found that Wilkerson was the company most recommended and says their professionalism, experience and the homework they did before the launch all helped to make his going out of business sale a success. “Wilkerson were working on the sale a month it took place,” he says. “They did a great job.”

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Here’s a Technology to Help Even the Playing Field with Internet Diamond Sellers

Published

on

The collective groan from brick-and-mortar jewelry retailers regarding the power and allure of internet diamond sellers has grown ever louder over the past few years.INSTORE VirtualDiamondBoutique Graphic2

Sometimes, the best way to fight fire is with fire – in this case, some internet power of your own. Last summer at the JCK Show, I was able to demo the new Virtual Diamond Boutique app and I walked away incredibly impressed. VDB will be showing at the upcoming Centurion Show in Scottsdale; if you’re planning on going (or even if you’re not), here’s why you should give this app a test run.

First off, it’s free. The app, available for iPad, iPhone and Android, allows store owners to search thousands of diamonds based on a variety of possible parameters like budget, shape, carat weight, color and clarity from easy-to-navigate display. Searches can be saved and “collections” can be created in order to personalize a selection of diamonds for a particular client. Retailers can even pre-program the markup they want so that clients see the price they want to charge. The availability of any given stone is updated in real time. It’s the pinnacle of internet technology at no cost to you.

Second, the visuals of the app are surprisingly clear and comprehensive. Each diamond comes with a high-definition image and most also include a 360-degree video so that salespeople can show the client exactly what the diamond looks like, making it far less likely for the store to waste time and money bringing in diamonds that the client may not like. The app also includes a visual image of any attached lab reports for each diamond.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this technology is available to certified trade professionals only – the public does not have access to it. In order to download the app for your platform, you must first provide trade credentials, which are checked by the company, before they will issue your password.

If this sounds like an ad, it’s not – I was personally impressed by the technology and I think we have many readers out there who could benefit from giving it a shot. Check it out at www.vdbapp.com and decide for yourself.

Advertisement

This story is an INSTORE online extra.

 

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After 139 Years, A Family Legacy Finds Its Perfect Exit With Wilkerson.

When third-generation jeweler Sam Sipe and his wife Laura decided to close Indianapolis’ historic J.C. Sipe Jewelers, they turned to Wilkerson to handle their retirement sale. “The conditions were right,” Sam explains of their decision to close the 139-year-old business. Wilkerson managed the entire going-out-of-business sale process, from marketing strategy to sales floor operations. “Our goal was to convert our paid inventory into retirement funds,” notes Sam. “The results exceeded expectations.” The Sipes’ advice for jewelers considering retirement? “Contact Wilkerson,” Laura says. “They’ll help you transition into retirement with confidence and financial security.”

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