Interactive and engaging, The Plumb Club Pavilion unveiled a new, exciting look as the 2019 JCK Las Vegas Show moved back to the Sands Expo & The Venetian after eight years.

Modern and easy to navigate, The Plumb Club Pavilion kept the overall original concept that people liked, but was beautifully remodeled, members cheered! Cora Lee Colaizzi, marketing director and senior merchandiser for Quality Gold in Fairfield, Ohio heard attendees throughout the show commenting on the presentation of The Plumb Club Pavilion and its fresh, open design.

“The new signage and lighting in the pavilion, and the monster billboards above the booths made things easy to find. It was comfortable to be there,” describes Dana Cali, marketing and communications for the New York based Mastoloni. “People were coming just to see everything we had going on.”

Exciting, interactive and engaging, the pavilion was like a think tank, including a Retail Innovation & Education Center showcasing the latest technology like augmented reality, kinetic retail display and GeoFencing; a jewelry art exhibition called “Glossy” by Ombré Gallery; and a planetarium taking retailers on a thrill ride through the universe, revealing insights into key jewelry trends.

“The retail concepts were well executed and provided excellent opportunities to see innovative jewelry and technology,” describes Cynthia Speight, marketing manager for IBGoodman in Newport, Kentucky.

Sharing Market Data
The Plumb Club debuted its comprehensive new research through its retail initiative, “Radiant Universe,” at JCK. The Plumb Club commissioned trends-forecasting agency, The Futurist to source consumer data and information useful to the jewelry market, providing insights on trends, consumer behaviors, and in-store and online sales information for its member companies.

The Polar Star and Sun, and constellations are identified as significant trending iconic motifs that resonate with consumers. The Plumb Club created a program through which its members can express these themes through their own collections, collectively named “Radiant Universe”, launched at JCK.

“Buyers are always asking what’s on trend, and want to know what consumers want,” says Colaizzi, who notes that The Plumb Club received feedback from retailers that there is a gap in the trade for aggregated, up-to-date consumer research that’s valuable to them. “Anytime as an industry we can provide jewelers with data and information to assist them in selecting merchandise it benefits us all. This research and collection initiative is huge for an organization of competitors to come together for a specific unified purpose.”

The Diamond Producers Association (DPA) also commissioned independent research on the modern diamond mining industry that it released during JCK at The Plumb Club’s Annual Breakfast Symposium which they sponsored. Independent data, compiled by Trucost ESG Analysis, a part of S&P Global, measured the total benefits and impacts of the diamond mining activities (socioeconomic and environmental) of DPA’s seven members, who represent 70% of the world’s diamond production, operating on 35 sites across four continents.

Challenging stereotypes and identifying areas for further improvement, the “Total Clarity: The Reality of Modern Diamond Mining Report” found: The diamond sector is one of the most regulated in the world. Diamonds support the livelihood of 10 million people worldwide. $16 billion of net benefits a year globally is infused into communities through local employment, sourcing of goods and services, taxes, and social programs and infrastructure investment.

The report provides a baseline for the industry to track future progress. One area of work identified is continued efforts to reduce carbon emissions. DPA offers retailers a Total Clarity toolkit, including social media, video, and fact sheets.

Videos of presentations made at The Plumb Club Breakfast Symposium can be found here.

Trending Products
It’s not surprising many Plumb Club members did well with new pieces designed for the group’s Radiant Universe Collection. “We featured star concept men’s diamond rings, a new collection of astrological signs for our successful Americana men’s accessories,” says Speight. “Our women’s jewelry included beautiful abalone inlay with diamonds in sun and star motifs.”

Cali says Mastoloni had star-inspired designs in its Stella Collection, and pearls with moonstone in its Bella Luna Collection that were among its show favorites.

“There was a lot of excitement ignited by The Plumb Club strategy for the North Star,” cites Renato Cruz, vice president of product development for Aneri Jewels, based in New York City.

Quality Gold, which carries a wide selection of product, cites bestsellers including lab-grown diamonds; charms; trendier diamond styles in all colors of gold; 14K gold stretch jewelry; and gold earrings with diamond-cut and high-polished designs.

Neil Shah of Shah Luxury, New York cites that demand for custom design services is high, from tweaks to existing styles in current collections to bridal and fashion pieces designed from scratch. “For our customers, it’s all about custom work and technology — that’s where the buzz is,” he says. “Customers are really excited about out hologram display to show CAD renderings in 3D.”

Above Average Always
Good market data, on-trend products, the latest technology, and effective marketing solutions are all key tools in the toolbox for retail jewelers to succeed.

But there’s one thing Shep Hyken, customer service and experience expert and bestselling author wanted jewelers attending his keynote Plumb Club presentation to know moving forward was to be better than average, consistently.

“The idea is to be better than satisfactory, at least 10% better than average, consistently,” says Hyken. “Competition is no longer limited to direct competitors, rather consumers comparing each retailer to the best service they’ve ever had.”

Hyken says that the ‘Why can’t you be as good as this guy’ view raises the bar continually. “Satisfaction is a rating; loyalty is an emotion. There’s a difference between a satisfied and loyal customer. We want people to enjoy doing business with us, and refer their friends, and that doesn’t happen if we’re just satisfactory.”

To be extra ordinary — demonstrate your knowledge and expertise; be friendly, positive and helpful; build rapport; dig deeper with questions; spend extra time.