August Newsletter

• Editorial
  - Counting down till kick-off,
• The Baby Boutique
  - Trends for Little Feet.
• Buy Baby Buy
  - Retail Buying Tips
• Accessorise Me
  - Jewellery and Fashion Accessory Speak
• Sharpen Up
  - Leading Trends in Kitchen Gadgets and Knives
• Make it a Wrap
  - Wrapping Up the Season Ahead
  

Accessorise Me

Jewellery and Fashion Accessory Speak

When it comes to choosing jewellery and fashion items, buyers aren’t always in the same boat. Whilst there are definite trends for each season, not everyone follows suit – but being a black sheep is not always a bad thing.

Reaching out to your customers first and foremost is a must before splurging on new-season stock, says Bruce Gilbert, director of fashion accessories wholesaler Findings. “First of all, the retailer has to understand what is selling in their store – and what isn’t – and ask their customers what they are looking for. Every store and market are different,” he says. “Once the demand is clear, stock the products in depth – not ordering in ones. I also suggest retailers visit their current suppliers first – or they won’t come to you first.”

For jewellery and fashion suppliers wanting to attract the attention of retailer buyers, being innovative should be top of the list, says Pam Kerr, director of Pam Kerr Designs. “The jewellery industry has changed tremendously over the years,” she says. “It means that we (wholesalers) have to continue being innovative, focusing on our strengths and coming up with new and creative designs. It’s a competitive market out there.”

But increased competition should be seen in a positive light, says Kat Gee, director and designer of New Zealand-based jewellery design company Kagi. “There are more branded jewellery offerings available these days but we (Kagi) welcome this competition as it means greater awareness for the designer jewellery category,” she says. “There are also many wholesalers bringing in generic unbranded product from China that is strongly fashion focused, so in this sense you could say this niche is very well covered too.” Ensuring you’ve got new product on offer to your customers each season is essential to keep you in the jewellery game, says Gilbert, and ensuring you’ve got more than one of every product is an even more vital. “Retailers need to show their customers that they are leaders and ‘the’ place to shop above anyone else,” he says. “What bothers me are the retailers who only orders in ones of a particularly good style or product category – especially when they’re the products that are bound to sell well. What happens is they end up not having what the consumer wants, when they want it and thus end up losing the sale. You can’t sell from an empty shelf.”

Nor can you expect to ring in the sales without doing your fair share of jewellery homework, says Angela McLachlan, director of jewellery wholesaler and retailer SilveRado Jewellery. “I believe there are many things to think about when you reassess your jewellery stock. Look at your competition, listen to your customers and also listen to your customers talking to their friends,” she advises. “Also consider whether your competitors (other retail stores) have a range of jewellery that you don’t. Can you introduce something along similar lines but better? I am a believer in stocking stable lines and of stocking the trends – you have to keep it interesting. I often advise my stockists when they re-order to try something new because most find that the more they stock, the better they do.” Kat Gee of Kagi agrees. “It sounds strange, but the less stock of a line you have, the less stock of that brand you will sell,” she says. “You need to get behind the brands you are selling. Ensure your staff know about the product, its history and materials, and in turn you will get loyal customers coming in season after season.

Assuming that everything you see at overseas fairs or on catwalks will meld seamlessly with the desires of Kiwi customers is often a trap that fashion accessory stockists fall into, believes Gilbert. “New Zealand is a conservative market, and the trends in Europe or North America are not always accepted here. Based on some of the amazing products we see in other countries and from our suppliers, we (Findings) wish more Kiwi women would experiment with their accessorising – there is only so much black and red one can stand after all!”

Gee believes excessive frivolity and Kiwi women just don’t mix. “From what we have found in New Zealand, women love simple yet stunning jewellery with a touch of sparkle. They are not into the frivolous, couture jewellery you find for hundreds of pounds offshore – this just isn’t practical enough and doesn’t suit our style,” she says. “New Zealanders like jewellery pieces that will add some colour and lift the look of the outfit without overwhelming the wearer. They like classics that can be worn with most outfits and make them feel amazing every day. Most shoppers are aware of trends but aren’t slaves to them and interpret them in a uniquely Kiwi way.”

Whether we choose to follow fashion and jewellery trends or not, Kerr believes New Zealanders aren’t backwards at coming forwards. “I think Kiwi shoppers are very aware of international trends as we travel a lot. I believe we carve out our own trends within larger trends, giving our designs a creative twist and uniqueness,” she says. “Whenever I’ve been overseas and come home I’m always blown away with the creativity I see here.”

Pride in one’s country is a trend McLachlan of SilveRado believes is growing in New Zealand. “Our biggest growth at SilveRado is the Kiwiana range. New Zealanders are very proud of their country, and many of our customers send the Kiwiana range overseas as gifts – the products are the ideal size for postage and a meaningful gift too.”

Chances are that if a customer is buying a jewellery or fashion item to gift, they’ll be quite smitten with it themselves, says McLachlan, “and if you have the right staff that know your products well, you should be able to sell that person two items – one to gift and one for themselves. My advice is to never look past an opportunity to upsell.” And never turn a blind eye to what your customers are demanding, says Gee. “In terms of trends, we see one of the key trends being versatility. We believe that customers, perhaps as a result of the recession, want to buy less stuff but be able to do more with that stuff – they’re demanding interchangeable jewellery they can customise in different ways,” she says. “We are also witnessing a return to classic, timeless designs with many of the fashion-forward accessories that customers wore one season and threw out the next becoming a thing of the past. Women want to buy mix ‘n’ match separates or multitasking jewellery that they can keep adding to season after season.”