Introducing the maturing child consumer: they’re young, have a keenly-honed sense of brand awareness, are less inclined to take styling advice from an adult, and want to be ahead of the game when it comes to trends.
While it’s fair to say grown-ups will probably maintain authority and make final purchasing decisions, the shopping profile of these fashion-savvy kids provides an indication of how and why the children’s jewellery segment has evolved in recent years.
“Children are absolutely becoming more discerning,” David Paterson, managing director of Paterson Fine Jewellery explains, adding that the demographic is influenced by a range of factors that didn’t exist 10 or more years ago.
“Kids as young as five and six years of age are able to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. to see what’s popular. On top of this, the tween age group [children aged between nine and 12] are much more environmentally cautious. They are asking questions about jewellery origins. Are the materials ethically sourced? Does this purchase support a cause?”
According to Paterson, jewellery for babies has always performed well but it’s the six to 12 age group that now dominates the children’s jewellery category.
The Melbourne-based supplier started tapping into this market a few years ago when launching the Luvlets range, a charm bracelet line comprising brightly-coloured enamel and sterling silver beads that aim to celebrate child achievements, aspirations and personality traits.
“Right now we are seeing strong trends in children’s jewellery for beaded ranges. Kids love to copy mum’s jewellery, so the popularity of brands such as Pandora and Thomas Sabo have created a demand for similar products specifically for kids,” Paterson continues.
“Previously the market consisted of predominantly generic items, but now jewellery needs to have a story, and more importantly be part of a collection that can be built upon. It also needs to be accessible online to support continued interest in the range.”
A fairytale for brands
Disney Couture is one supplier that has benefitted from the desire for children’s jewellery that tells a story and has strong brand presence.
When the brand entered the local market in 2012, it quickly became apparent that about 40 per cent of sales were coming from purchases for children despite the company positioning itself to satisfy a core demographic of adults.
“With adults being the target market, it meant that a considerable make up of our trend-driven collection wasn’t suitable for that younger market,” Disney Couture director Phillip Corelli explains.
Enter Disney Couture Junior, launched in September 2013. The range is an extension of the main line, where the brand’s most popular adult styles have been made in smaller versions for little people aged between two and 12 years of age.
“With Disney being such an iconic global brand that is traditionally focused towards youngsters, the brand recognition by children is phenomenal. Even though they are not yet independent consumers, we are definite believers that children are discerning when it comes to the choices made by their paying accompanying adult,” Corelli says, adding that the brand’s Tinker Bell necklaces are one of the most popular product lines, followed closely by the brightly-coloured collection of sterling silver Mickey Mouse stud earrings.
Also recognising the growing demand for children’s jewellery is supplier Oro Bello Jewellery, which distributes the brand Piccolo.
The brand specialises in contemporary 9-carat gold and sterling silver jewellery designed and manufactured in Italy, and director Felicity Van Wyk attests that sales continue to increase despite a difficult economic climate.
In addition to having approximately 200 stockists in Australia, Oro Bello recently signed an agreement with a Singapore-based company to distribute Piccolo in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Earlier this year, it also made a distribution deal with a business in Canada, which now supplies the range in Canada and North America.
“The types of jewellery that are popular right now are earrings and bracelets,” Van Wyk says, adding that product isn’t aimed only at the girls. “We have quite a few ID bracelets made just for boys. In fact, the boys ID bracelets are some of our top sellers. They include charms of soccer balls, cars and planes.”
Milestone vs ‘any time’
Suppliers contacted by Jeweller acknowledged childhood milestones such as christenings and birthdays as the number one reason for purchasing children’s jewellery; however, there is also a consensus that the category is becoming an ”any time” purchase also – something that is bound to benefit retailers.
“Births, christenings and birthdays appear to be the main reason for the purchase of children’s gold jewellery,” Van Wyk says, before explaining that the brand’s sterling silver items are typically bought for everyday wear.
“As little girls are becoming more image and fashion conscious, customers tend to buy more than one [earring] design so the child can regularly change their earrings. Children dragging mum into the local jewellery store to select the newest pair of cute earrings may also lead to mum buying something for herself.”
Not surprisingly, Corelli believes that price point is a key indicator for whether an item is bought as an ”any time” gift or to mark a special occasion.
“Largely our product is being purchased for childhood milestones as the characters and quotes [featured on the pieces] are so heart-warming they make such a thoughtful and exciting gift,” he says. “However, the price-point of the junior collection is so affordable that there is also a high proportion of product being purchased simply as an any time gift as the outlay isn’t a high price purchase. We believe that to be a key element in a product for children.”
Trent Giltrap from Queensland-based The Diamond Vault, which has been stocking Disney Couture Junior since it was first introduced to the market, concurs that jewellery for kids is now becoming an everyday purchase, and says that children are “definitely” influential in purchasing decisions.
“We’re finding customers are no longer coming into the store and picking an item for a child; they’re actually bringing that child in to pick it for themselves,” Giltrap explains. “Parents will often enter the store with child in tow to pick an engagement or wedding ring and the next thing you know, the kids are walking out with jewellery as well.”
Giltrap says the store gently encourages children with in-store gifts. “We have big Mickey and Minnie Mouse soft toys for the kids, which normally opens the door to a purchase.”
When it comes to children’s jewellery, it’s clear that the kids are a force to be reckoned with, but is there anything happening in the even younger baby sector?
Traditional presents for babies such as ID bracelets and brooches still appear to sell well.
New Zealand-based Worth & Douglas has supplied children’s jewellery for more than 20 years. Chris Worth, head of sales and marketing, says that expandable 9-carat gold and sterling silver bangles continue to make popular gift ideas, especially for grandparents and godparents celebrating a baptism.
Similarly, Paterson comments that demand for newborn and baby jewellery has always been strong, and not just in the local market.
Paterson Fine Jewellery’s My Little Angel brand offers classic 9-carat gold bangles, bracelets, pendants and brooches, as well as its Babylinks range of charm bracelets that is stocked not only in Australia and New Zealand but also in the United Kingdom and the United States.
For Michael Daniele who runs Daniele Jewellers in southwest Sydney, a majority of sales in this category come from gifts for christenings or the birth of a child.
The store stocks the Piccolo brand as well as a range of 18-carat gold jewellery imported from Italy, with Daniele stressing the importance of having an offering with varying price-points.
“Years ago, we only used to sell 18-carat [gold jewellery] but now, with gold prices being where they are, people sometimes don’t mind going for the 9-carat or even sterling silver jewellery,” he says.
To market, to market
Retailers wouldn’t be wrong to think that stocking children’s jewellery brings a new challenge for stores; the sales process now needs to appeal to children as well as adults.
In terms of marketing and display, Van Wyk says children’s jewellery can often be lost when placed in a cabinet due to its small stature. In her experience, retailers who find success in this category have their kids’ product in a highly-visible position within the store.
Corelli agrees, adding that branding should be situated at eye level for both adults and children.
Colour also plays a key role, according to Paterson: “Kids are attracted to colour so trying to blend your children’s jewellery packaging and displays into a neutral tone consistent with the store may not work. Most kids want the gift they receive to evolve after the initial purchase, so having the products part of a brand with a fun website feature is a strong selling point. The packaging should also be fun and sturdy so it is kept as part of the product,” he says.
Children’s jewellery should be a joyful, sweet and exciting category, but Retail Doctor Group CEO Brian Walker is quick to remind retailers that they are dealing with customers of an extremely impressionable age.
If a child is present during the sales process, Walker has this advice: “It’s important to sell children’s jewellery in an elegant and sophisticated way that supports a child that is developing a sense of self and ego. I would focus less on the beauty of the individual – ‘If I wear this, I’ll be beautiful’ – and more on the occasion, the milestone, social event or the cultural and religious factors.”
It seems the motivations for making a children’s jewellery purchase are endless. The category itself is still nascent, growing in line with its consumers, and retailers would do well to stock up on the latest offerings.
After all, who knows from where the next sale may arise: parent, auntie, grandparent or from a small but surprisingly influential child shopper?
Introducing the maturing child consumer: they’re young, have a keenly-honed sense of brand awareness, are less inclined to take styling advice from an adult, and want to be ahead of the game when it comes to trends.
While it’s fair to say grown-ups will probably maintain authority and make final purchasing decisions, the shopping profile of these fashion-savvy kids provides an indication of how and why the children’s jewellery segment has evolved in recent years.
“Children are absolutely becoming more discerning,” David Paterson, managing director of Paterson Fine Jewellery explains, adding that the demographic is influenced by a range of factors that didn’t exist 10 or more years ago.
“Kids as young as five and six years of age are able to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. to see what’s popular. On top of this, the tween age group [children aged between nine and 12] are much more environmentally cautious. They are asking questions about jewellery ori