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Articles from DIAMOND JEWELLERY (975 Articles), RINGS - ENGAGEMENT (220 Articles)
The Showcase Jewellers app focuses on diamond jewellery
New app to increase diamond jewellery sales
 2.6 k views | Posted May 27, 2014 | By Stephanie Chan • Staff Journalist
Showcase Jewellers has launched a new app to help its members engage
with customers and to generate excitement around diamond jewellery.
The Showcase Jewellers app focuses on diamond and bridal jewellery – specifically diamond rings, diamond earrings and diamond pendants.
Showcase general manager Carson Webb, who helped design and develop the offering, said, “There is probably not enough specific focus being paid to diamond products at the moment, so we believe this is a great way to bring back home how beautiful diamond jewellery is. We also wanted to show consumers how wonderful diamond jewellery can make you feel, so we have aimed to build these emotions into the app as well.”
To help consumers select and easily find the right piece of diamond jewellery, the app incorporates a number of features, including: a 3D visual spinning function that allows users to gain a 360-degree view of a product, a ring size selector, and a store locator.
The app also features a “try-on” function that encourages users to share photos of them “wearing” the product with friends and family. Users can take a photo of themselves and position the product on the relevant body part within the photo before sharing it via social media sites.
“We really wanted to be able to engage the customer with the try-on function – to get everyone taking ‘selfies’ and sharing them on Instagram, Facebook, and through direct emails to our member’s jewellery retail stores,” Webb said.
He explained that the app put a strong focus on visual stimulation, capturing the aesthetic appeal of diamond jewellery and translating it into a digital form to enable customers to engage with products both in-store and at home via their iPhones or iPads; the app is currently only compatible with Apple products.
“Our jewellery is represented within the app so that customers can not only see our jewellery in a catalogue at home, but now they can jump on the app to look at it too,” Webb said. “They can pick a ring and ‘try it on’, see what it actually looks like, then use the GPS function to locate stores closest to them and send off an email to the retailer, or post an image straight onto their Facebook page.”
Webb added that the integration of the store locator was important as it revealed nearby jewellery stores to consumers that they may not previously have been aware of, as well as providing them with an “immediate link” to the store through its direct emailing function.
The retailer version
Showcase CEO Michael Mishevski explained that two versions of the app had been developed – one for consumers and one for retailers.
According to Webb, the retailer version of the app was developed for use in-store as a point of sale resource, providing staff with additional information that was not available in the consumer version. This includes prices of custom jewellery and advanced product knowledge that staff can use when having discussions with customers.
Webb added that the app looked “fantastic” on a large scale, and could be displayed on LED or plasma screens within a store from an iPad. Retailers can also download a stock photo gallery that allows them to use images of models to showcase products.
A new era of consumer engagement
Webb said that it was necessary to “embrace technology” to effectively connect with consumers.
“Why not embrace it? It’s not like it will make or break your business, but it’s a very important element of where everyone is these days. We’ve got to take them on a journey and try to be on the same train,” he said.
Webb added that consumers are now beginning to demand new experiences, and that the industry needs to launch initiatives – such as this app – to keep up.
“They’re [consumers] looking for something different,” he explained. “Gone are the days when they just walk from glass [display] to glass [display]. They’re looking for different ways to engage with your business. If you’ve got e-commerce, flash products, and great brands, something like this [the app] is just another element of being in the space of where we need to be.”
The app is part of Showcase’s wider digital marketing strategy, which has included “substantial” Facebook activity and an e-commerce website.
Webb indicated that now the app had been launched, the buying group would begin to look at adding new components, including the possibility of an Android version and augmented reality functionality.
Showcase Jewellers, which was established in Australia in 1981, is one of Australasia’s largest jewellery buying groups, with approximately 280 stores operating in Australia and about 30 stores in New Zealand.
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