TPC-365: A Resource Hub

The Plumb Club will be showcasing the third and final phase of its online B2B platform, TPC-365 that no jeweler will want to miss.

The Plumb Club has evolved since its founding in 1983 to be more than a social club and curated trade show pavilion of distinguished manufacturers from all facets of the jewelry trade to become an important organization adding industry-wide value as a hub for information, resources and networking.

The Plumb Club Pavilion at JCK Las Vegas, located on the Level 2 of the Sands Expo, Aug. 27-30, is a premier destination for jewelers shopping the show. Known for its amenities, including complementary refreshments lounge and business center, The Plumb Club will be showcasing the third and final phase of its online B2B platform, TPC-365 that no jeweler will want to miss.

In the works for two years and launched last September, TPC-365 was customized for The Plumb Club by BOSS Logics, leveraging its “together” technology. TPC-365 goes beyond video conferencing and screen sharing to replicate an in-person sales meeting. Vendors can present virtual trays of jewelry to jewelers who can click for closer looks and details, select pieces via drag-and-drop, and review look books, catalogues and marketing stowed in a virtual archive. Vendors can send follow-up email with virtual briefcase of reviewed items. Launched in April, phase two of the platform rollout offers 3D showrooms for jewelers to explore products, company history, and schedule meetings.

The final-phase of the project, to be launched at JCK Las Vegas in August, unveils the platform’s fully immersive resource center, archiving valuable education and innovative content. All of The Plumb Club’s content will be stowed here, including trends and news articles, podcasts and webinars.

But this resource center will include much more, from the latest metal prices and reference documents from trade organizations to sponsorship opportunities with non-competing businesses and services and yellow pages of resources.

“We want to build this hub as a resource center that can help retail jewelers on the front lines on a variety of topics,” advocates Lawrence Hess, executive director of The Plumb Club.

As the platform technology name reflects, together Plumb Club vendors want to offer an experience for jewelers, to browse, shop, and discover new things from a curated group, with ancillary support from other organizations and service companies in a robust marketplace.

There will be a display in The Plumb Club Pavilion for jewelers to explore what TPC-365.com has to offer as a resource and how together we can all do well.

Discovering New Tools
Undoubtedly, jewelers will be eager for the hands-on aspect the show offers, engaging with the tools available to help jewelers sell on the front lines.

“Cleaning remains a top-of-mind issue, and will continue to be a trend,” reminds Heather Brown, public relations and communications for Columbus, Ohio based jewelry care manufacturer, The Kingswood Company. “This show will be a good chance to reconnect with customers and we’re excited to launch in The Plumb Club pavilion our new Clean + Care® product line. It’s perfect for jewelers who want our upscale packaging with a low minimum (12), and who don’t have the time or capacity to develop their own private-label line.”

The line offers the same high quality cleaning formulas and sophisticated packaging for which Kingswood is known, but with its exclusive brand Clean + Care label for jars of jewelry cleaner and polishing cloths, Sparkle + Shine^® sticks, jewelry cleaning wipes, and foaming jewelry cleaners.

Vendors are excited to share the latest tools and technology they’ve been developing to help jewelers connect with consumers and close sales in an ever-changing sales environment. Among the many opportunities, guests to The Plumb Club pavilion can engage in live demonstrations with Shah Luxury showcasing its virtual try-on application and hologram technology, in addition to launching new diamond fashion jewelry to complement its Diva bridal line.

Neil Shah, owner of Shah Luxury, says the new hologram experience takes what the company had before and extends it to the next generation with more customization options, instant pricing, and the ability to order immediately from the application. There are so many more features to enhance the customer experience and make it more user-friendly for our retailers.”

Describes Brian Howard, vice president of sales and marketing for Shah: “The technology allows you to change metal color or gemstone in the design as it floats before you,” He says the New York City based jewelry manufacturer became an IT developer, partially out of necessity to bring technology to its customers that makes business more effective, efficient and engaging. The brand, for which half of its sales is in custom work, cites the conversion rates for jewelers using their technology to be 30% to 40%.

Many vendors in The Plumb Club also are excited to share what they’ve been planning since COVID to provide jewelers with more digital resources, as Novell and Ostbye announced they’re launching at JCK, as well as new displays to help jewelers to better merchandise and market at the sales counter, like Aneri/Equity Diamond Brokers and Samuel B. are eager to share.

“We are committed to helping our retailers weather through all the changes and do the research for them, so we target what they need regarding product and sales tools,” explains Theresa Namie, Merchandise Manager, Ostbye in Minneapolis Minnesota. She is hopeful this year overall, and Q4 specifically will be successful, reporting that the company has a popular Holiday Wishbook for jewelers and free custom designs platform online that has been a winner.

This same commitment to giving jewelers the tools they need to be successful is echoed among Plumb Club members like Harry Fiorentinos, director of sales for Novell, a subsidiary of Continental in Rahway, New Jersey. “We’re so excited to present jewelers with our new marketing and merchandising initiatives in person.  What we will be discussing with retailers, are the multiple levels we approach targeting savvier product conscious consumers with better integration between bricks and clicks. In 2021, we launched a full online resource center for our retail partners. Novell University features educational podcast series, a jewelry blog, video, and podcast interviews with industry leaders, artists, and designers. NovellUniveristy.com is designed with our mission of educating jewelry retailers on Novell products and business practices while using the power of social media to drive foot traffic to their brick and mortar and/or online store.”

Vendors in The Plumb Club will be flexing their marketing and merchandising muscles to give jewelers all the tools and resources they need to help their consumers find the gifts and self-purchases they will love and cherish.