Webinars

The State of Jewelry Retailing: Who’s Buying, Where and Why

Published

2 years ago

July 18, 2021

The pandemic has changed the face of the jewelry industry, and a new, more customer-centric and user-friendly era has begun. With the U.S. jewelry market expected to grow by $18 billion over the next five years, what are the trends driving this growth and who are the customers who will be making these purchases? In this one-hour session, the panelists discuss the findings of the recent demographic and psychographic study conducted by The Plumb Club, including how consumers in each generation (Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials and Gen Zers) are motivated to buy, as well as how the pandemic, technology, lab-grown diamonds and a movement toward social responsibility are affecting purchasing.

Panelists include Sam Sandberg, president of The Plumb Club and chairman of A.Jaffe; Paola De Luca, founder of The Futurist; and Michael O’Connor, marketing director of The Plumb Club. Moderated by Trace Shelton, editor-in-chief, INSTORE.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”