Headlines

Major Online Jewelry Brand Opens Brick-and-Mortar Store

It will provide ‘an immersive gallery experience.’

Published

6 years ago

December 12, 2018

INSTORE Staff

Online diamond bridal jewelry retailer JamesAllen.com has opened a brick-and-mortar location in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC.

The store will allow customers to “experience the JamesAllen.com brand in an immersive gallery experience in a physical environment enhanced by the brand’s technology-forward approach to shopping,” according to a press release.

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JamesAllen.com was acquired last year by Signet Jewelers in a $328 million deal.

“We’re excited to continue executing Signet’s Customer-First OmniChannel strategy with this new shopping experience from JamesAllen.com, integrating both our digital and physical retail platforms,” said Virginia C. Drosos, Chief Executive Officer at Signet Jewelers. “The world-class innovation and technology at the core of JamesAllen.com’s business will come to life in the new location, redefining the jewelry shopping experience for our customers.”

The concept store will feature:

Virtual Reality. Customers “can learn about the 4Cs and how to make the best decision when buying diamonds in an immersive way, using a VR headset while viewing a 3D video with narration,” according to the company.

Coffee Bar with “iGrade.” Enjoy coffee while using “patented tablet-based technology that enables customers to browse and grade diamond quality online for peer-to-peer preference comparisons.”

Ring Try-On Photo Booth. Customers can take pictures with diamond rings and upload the images to their social channels, with added visual elements including GIFs and animation, for instant feedback from family and friends.

Self-Service Diamond Display Table. It’s a 10-foot table display featuring best-selling engagement rings, giving customers instant access to diamond rings without needing a key or associate.

The company adds: “As a demonstration of JamesAllen.com’s OmniChannel strategy, customer service representatives at the store will also be available to assist customers through online channels. For example, when employees at the Georgetown location are not assisting customers in-person, they will continue to provide service to customers online, from the same Georgetown location.”

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