Our work with Luxury Retailers took us to International Jewellery London at Olympia in September. It was great to see this vibrant and thriving retail sector in action at this international trade show hub. In fact, jewellery and watches was the best performing retail segment in July according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. And what’s more the category also achieved its best growth performance since the BRC-KPMG monitor opened it, back in 2014.
This is great news for jewellery and watch retailers as well as for jewellery retail design, as we explore new and innovative ways to improve the shopping experience for a discerning luxury consumer group.
Of course, in order to thrive, the world of jewellery retail design needs to constantly evolve and we are delighted to play our part in this, working with some of the most dynamic and successful luxury brands in the UK sector.
This month sees the completion of our most recent jewellery retail design collaboration for Hugh Rice, with the refurbishment of their 17th Century Grade II listed fine jewellery and watch boutique in Beverley, East Yorkshire. It follows the successful launch of Luxe by Hugh Rice, their new store concept, which we also designed for them, and which opened to rave reviews last year in Beverley’s nearby Saturday Market.
September was also the month when our good friend and client, Helen Dimmick, Managing Director, Green+Benz, was recognised in this year’s Professional Jeweller Hot 100 – a list that celebrates the most innovative and dynamic jewellery retailers in Britain today.
We were obviously delighted for Helen. Her passion for her sector is very much at the heart of our design for her new Green+Benz store in Chesterfield. Of course, like many other successful luxury retailers, Helen understands the critical role that retail design plays in delivering a great retail experience for her customers.
Early last month, trends forecaster WGSN reported on the importance of the retail experience for luxury brands. Their findings focus on two key trends: the rise in omnichannel purchases and the need for physical experiences. Together these have prompted what WGSN calls the ‘phygital’ tsunami – physical retail experiences, combined with digital browsing. Among WGSN’s insights was the need for luxury brands to engage with their consumers at a deeper level.
For luxury retailers like Helen Dimmick, high quality customer engagement comes naturally. At Green+Benz she successfully bridges the gap between online convenience and the in-store experience. It’s an instinctive, channel-less mentality, based on great products, expert knowledge and excellent customer service.
The evidence is clear – meaningful customer engagement, that surprises and delights consumers at every contact point, is essential for luxury retailers. And delivering engaging and luxurious retail environments is absolutely critical in the mix. Our store design for Helen’s Green+Benz Chesterfield boutique is not only delivering commercial success, it was shortlisted for Best Store Environment at the UK Jewellery Awards 2016.
In our June blog post – 10 Retail Design Insights for Jewellers we touched on a few key steps to successful jewellery retail design. So if you are planning a new luxury store development you might want to take a read. Start addressing some of our insights and you could be on your way to following in Helen’s footsteps!
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