Feb 22, 2017
Have you ever hosted an in-store event at your place of business? If you have, you’re likely well aware of the many benefits that such an event can bring to your store. If you haven’t, you’re likely unaware of just how impactful in-store events can be for your company. Naturally, hosting an event in your store gives you the opportunity to meet face-to-face with your customers. It enables you to both re-establish and strengthen relationships with people who have supported your store in the past.
What makes in-store events especially beneficial for those in the jewelry industry? Jewelry purchases are very often made by customers who have very personal connections to their selected items. Engagement rings, anniversary presents, birthday gifts for significant others – these are often the nature of the purchases made in jewelry stores. So, it’s not uncommon for customers to want to think things through before making their buying decisions.
In-store events are so effective for jewelry stores because they give customers opportunities to converse with friendly and knowledgeable sales associates about the reasons for their purchases. This is what makes the jewelry purchase special. It’s not like any other buy. There is often a sentimental attachment to the purchase that needs to be discussed in order for the customer to feel comfortable with his or her decision.
In-store events at jewelry stores also enable customers to try pieces on for themselves. It makes sense for people who are shopping for jewelry to want to see what their options look like while wearing them. In this sense, in-store events serve as great opportunities for customers to sample your items. And research has shown that this significantly boosts sales.
A 2009 study conducted by independent research firm Knowledge Networks-PDI found that stores that allow in-store sampling enjoy a number of benefits. As reported by QSR Magazine, the study proved that “in-store sampling not only has dramatic sales impact on the day of the sampling event, but also increases sales of established products and line extensions, as well as new products, for many weeks following.”
“The study also found in-store sampling lifts sales of the entire brand franchise in addition to the sampled brand, among other things never thought possible. As a result of the study, for the first time in-store sampling can now be considered measured media, and its cost effectiveness, when applied to all of the sampling’s benefits over time, is significantly greater than previously believed.”
IGD Business Analyst, Catherine Ellwood agrees that running in-store events helps for stores to create closer bonds with their customers. By inviting customers to special events, store owners gain greater senses of loyalty. Ellwood notes, however, that there are particular ways that stores can make the most out of their events. And they include having bold, creative displays that can add “wow” factors to the proceedings.
“Injecting color and creativity in-store instantly attracts shoppers’ attention, tempting them to impulse purchase or add extra items to their basket,” writes Ellwood, “Think outside the box to create a different experience from previous years and from other retailers. Consider using augmented or virtual reality to excite shoppers and to make the most of the technology’s growing availability.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we proudly offer our one-of-a-kind Retail Event Marketing services to help jewelry store owners host the most successful of in-store events. Our phone agents, who call your customers on your store’s behalf, have over 30 years of experience working on the phone. They each make more than 250 phone calls per day, reaching out to your existing customers to make friendly, personal connections with them. Our vast experience has proven that this is the best way to make each of your in-store events a huge success!
For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Feb 15, 2017
Another Valentine’s Day has come and gone. And, on behalf of the entire TK Enterprises Inc. staff, we hope you had an amazing one! Jewelry store owners continent-wide are well aware of just how important Valentine’s Day is for their businesses. It should be a surprise to no one that jewelry is among the top five most popular gifts for people to give their partners on this traditionally romantic occasion.
According to New Jersey’s Lincroft Village Jewelers, the three most popular types of jewelry that are given as gifts on Valentine’s Day are chocolate diamonds, diamond earrings and engagement rings. Chocolate diamonds, says their website, are a “combination” of the popular Valentine’s Day gifts of chocolates and jewelry since the diamonds are brown in color. Diamond earrings, of course, are classic gifts that never go out of style.
And engagement rings are, quite obviously, the most romantic gifts that can be given on the most romantic day of the year. It should also be no surprise that Valentine’s Day is one of the top days of the year for marriage proposals. In fact, an American Express study found that approximately six million couples are likely to get engaged every 14th of February. It’s also a day when many actually tie the knot.
As reported by Blair Nicole on Inquisitr.com, these statistics prove that Valentine’s Day can always be relied upon by jewelry stores to provide huge amounts of business. “In February 2013, jewelry stores that sell engagement rings (as well as other jewelry) sold an estimated $2.5 billion in jewelry,” she informs, “The same American Express report also stated that the average cost for an engagement ring in 2013 was a hefty $2410.”
Evidently, Valentine’s Day provides a major annual boost in sales for jewelry stores. But, as many jewelry store owners are well aware, this also means that a sizeable drop in sales can be anticipated in the weeks that follow Valentine’s Day. At TK Enterprises Inc., we believe that the weeks and months that follow Valentine’s Day provide the ideal times to plan in-store events to tantalize customers of your store.
Our experience has proven to us that a drop in sales is more about a drop in advertising than it is about the season. After all, there are reasons to celebrate romantic love all year round. While most couples choose to acknowledge Valentine’s Day in uniquely special ways, all couples have different anniversaries, birthdays and other important occasions to celebrate throughout the year. Naturally, this presents year-round reasons to consider jewelry as gifts.
Ensuring that the customers who visited your store prior to Valentine’s Day are reminded that you are the source of all of their jewelry needs is an important part of maintaining lucrative sales numbers. For many years, the unique Retail Event Marketing services provided by TK Enterprises Inc. have assisted jewelry stores across the continent with welcoming back customers to in-store events that both greatly improve customer relationships and boost sales.
Our team is comprised of highly-experienced and friendly phone agents who call customers as representatives of the jewelry stores hosting upcoming events. The personal over-the-phone invites have proven to be much more successful than informal invites made through either the mail or email. To continue the success you’ve enjoyed over the past few weeks, be sure to contact TK Enterprises Inc., to learn more about our Retail Event Marketing services today!
Please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Feb 8, 2017
At TK Enterprises Inc., we have long championed the concept of making personal connections with your customers. Having done business with numerous jewelry store owners throughout North America for so many years, we have become accustomed to hearing stories about how their face-to-face interactions with customers truly help them to develop better sales strategies. Knowing the importance of establishing long-lasting relationships with customers, we strongly advocate for clienteling.
What is clienteling exactly? Clienteling is a marketing technique that is utilized by the retail industry in order to learn more about customers’ personal preferences that may influence their buying decisions. The purpose of clienteling, as you may have guessed, is to accumulate data about consumers so that businesses can enhance their approach to customer service, catering to their client base in more personal and exclusive ways.
When you get a handle on what makes your customers tick, you put yourself in a better position to influence their willingness to make purchases in your store. Adding that personal touch to your interactions with your customers – thanks to your attention to detail via clienteling – helps to not only increase sales, but to grow customer bases with loyal long-term members.
What makes clienteling so effective? Research has shown that it’s much easier (and less expensive) to market your brand to individuals who have already supported it than it is to advertise to people who have never heard of your business. In other words, placing your focus on those who are already your customers is a proven key to boosting sales. Through clienteling, you’ll be able to better recognize the likes and dislikes of the customers you already have.
“For most retailers, 80% of sales are derived from their top 20% (often less than 20%) of customers,” explains Mi9Retail.com, “This 80/20 rule demonstrates the value of a dedicated focus on the top tier customer, as a 5% gain in sales from these customers represents a much greater benefit than a 10% gain with all other customers combined. It is often much easier to influence the loyal customer than the customer who is not yet loyal to the brand.”
What are the best ways to clientele? There are a variety of ways that you can strengthen the relationships you have with your customers while attaining more information about their preferences and buying habits. Among them are direct mail, e-mail newsletters, special sales and in-store events. These methods all encourage direct interactions with the people who have supported your business. Exclusive in-store events are especially beneficial as they demonstrate the value you place on your relationships with their invitees.
“Clients want to feel special — like they’re insiders and that you appreciate them more than any other customer,” informs Mike Kraus on AllBusiness.com, “They know they’re one of your best customers, so why aren’t you treating them like one? Running a promotion on a particular brand? If you just received some new items from a particular brand, search your database and find out who has purchased that brand from you in the past year. Then call them and let them know you just received those items and you wanted to let them know before everyone else.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we understand that not every business owner is particularly comfortable reaching out to their customers in order to grow their connections. That’s where our one-of-a-kind Retail Event Marketing services come in very handy. Our team of knowledgeable and friendly phone agents have decades of experience contacting customers on behalf of jewelry stores in order to offer personal invites to their in-store events. The growth in success of our clients is proof that this form of clienteling is highly effective.
For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Feb 1, 2017
Jewelry is one of those world renown products that has been considered something that can “sell itself”. However, as any good business owner knows, there must always be effort placed on showcasing your products to the general public to inspire interest. Products must be presented in desirable ways to invoke added intrigue within those who may be shopping for what you have to offer. And in the jewelry industry, this is most certainly the case.
The ways in which you present your jewelry are of paramount importance. Are your displays set up in such ways that they are maximizing your ability to sell your products? If not, some changes may be in order. Here are three simple ways to improve your jewelry displays:
1. Make your jewelry the star attraction. In many cases, the “less is more” adage is one to adhere to. That’s because some displays can get too busy, detracting attention away from the products you wish to sell. Most often, added frills should be abandoned for sleek and clean displays that allow the presented jewelry to truly shine. This helps to adequately highlight the beauty of your products.
“Although you can use all kinds of neat props for jewelry displays, I’d like to emphasize that your jewelry should stand out plainly as the star attraction in the display,” writes Yolanda Burmington of Yolanda Jewelry Displays, “Don’t get so carried away creating a cool setting that the display itself steals the scene! It’s easy to let your creative zeal run away with you when you work on your jewelry displays.”
2. Allow for adequate space between brands. Obviously, the majority of jewelry pieces are small. That means that there is usually ample space in each jewelry display to present a large number of items. This, however, can be a lot for shoppers to take in. It’s wise to set up your displays so that there is adequate space between the different types of jewelry and the different brands of jewelry that you have for sale.
“Our eyes need a bit of rest to really see a small item as jewelry often is,” reminds Esther Ligthart on Bizzita.com, “Try to create space. Leave more space between different brands. Just a few items say so much more than a pile of jewelry. Get the lights of your windows right! They need to shine directly onto the jewelry.”
3. Use props that accentuate the jewelry pieces. This is where your color coordination skills will come in very handy. What backgrounds will help to make your pieces of jewelry truly pop? The best displays are eye-catching and engaging. You want to be sure that your pieces are easily visible and appear vibrant against their backdrops.
“Jewelry should show up against whatever props and background materials you use,” says Burmington, “A clear crystal quartz pendant would be practically invisible on a leopard print silk scarf, but a chunky silver cuff bracelet on the same scarf would stand out smashingly. A dark prop and background makes colorful jewelry set stand out stunningly. A background that distinct visually with the jewelry will help the jewelry stand out as the star of the scene being created for it.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we are very well aware of the importance of vibrant jewelry displays. Our Retail Event Marketing services are designed to invite your customers to your next in-store event so that you have greater opportunities to dazzle them with your unique displays. It’s hard to dispute that there’s a better way to impress your customers than to have them visit your store for face-to-face encounters. And we’ve found that there’s no better way to encourage their visits than to call them directly.
For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com. And, if you happen to be in the Tucson, Arizona area, please come and visit us at the JCK Tuscon Event which features some of the most incredible jewelry displays in the continent! It’s taking place at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, located at 3800 W Starr Pass Boulevard until this Saturday. We’re at booth 714!