The 4Cs are not the only things that make a piece of diamond jewelry a sales winner. In an ongoing series, Rapaport Magazine explores the “3Ws” — what’s selling, what’s not and why — by going straight to the people who really know — jewelry retailers. Each month, we ask a sampling of retailers to comment on the important issues that are facing the industry today. Here is what they had to say when asked: “Is the fact that jewelry is made in America a selling point that your customers care about? Is it more important to one age group than another?”
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“It definitely is. All our Calhoun Jewelers private label jewelry, engagement rings and diamond wedding bands, are made in America. I think the Baby Boomers are big on that. But we always make that point. In fact, I do the advertisement in red, white and blue. People have commented on it. For me and where I’m located here, it seems to work.”
“We make a lot of custom pieces here and I always mention that. People like it. And definitely, some of our suppliers offer made in the U.S. and we use that as a selling point. We mention it if possible. I think Millennials like it but I think it’s probably evenly appealing among people of all age groups. There are certain brides who are socially conscious and like the fact that their ring was made in the United States. They want conflict-free diamonds — we sell some diamonds cut in Canada and they like that — and we recycle our gold here in the store and they like that. It also appeals to the older generation, the WWII babies, who grew up with that idea of buying ‘made in the USA.’ There might even be more people in that generation who like it, but that’s not to say that the young people don’t like that fact as well. We certainly like to mention that a product is made in the U.S. any time that we can.”
“We do carry quite a few products that are made in the U.S. and we point that out. I think the Baby Boomers appreciate it more than the younger people do. It means more in fashion jewelry than bridal, since most of the bridal is made in the U.S. except for foreign labor. It’s fifty-fifty.”
“Yes, made in the U.S. definitely is a selling point. Some customers have even starting asking where the jewelry is from. It seems to be more relevant to older customers, Baby Boomers. And in the fashion category. We are starting to point out that it’s the case since we manufacture our own jewelry.”
“The answer is yes, it’s a selling point, and yes, we have jewelry that’s made in America. It’s appealing but it’s not a deal-breaker in almost any instance. It tends to be bridal because most better fashion isn’t made in America. In bridal, you have people like Tacori, as an example, who are made in the U.S., as are others that we carry. We both feel good about it — people feel good about the jewelry being made in the U.S. and if there’s an issue, the manufacturer is here. It’s appealing across the board, to Millennials and Baby Boomers, and above and below those age groups.”
“We always use that selling point for the iconic American-made jewelry brands we carry, such as Tacori. Many of our customers appreciate the fact that items are made in the U.S. and buying American is a way of life for them.” Article from the Rapaport Magazine - February 2017. To subscribe click here.