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Visual Merchandising
The Jeweller
Keeping Up Appearances As it’s back to business for most jewellery retailers, Belinda Morris casts her eye over the encouraging and inspiring flurry of refurbs and new stores on our high streets.
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hile at the Jewellery Festival in September, I listened to a thought-provoking talk given by senior retail executive Andrew Jennings. With more than 45 years of leadership with some very big-name retailers under his belt, his words of wisdom were really worth taking note of. Should you have missed them, all the salient points are in his book – Almost is Not Good Enough – which offers a useful insight on what, in his view, does and doesn’t work if a business is to thrive today. There are many soundbites in the book, but, as they relate to visual merchandising, a few of Jennings’ takeaways stand out. • “Go big or go home… be authoritative… today in retail you have to make a statement.” • “A strong, well-developed point of view is essential.” • “Embrace technology!” • “Understand your customers’ wants, needs and desires.”
He stresses that “visual merchandising should be an absolute priority… creative presentation of in-store merchandise is essential… stores should be a source of visual delight.” Suzanne Robinson of VM & Events can vouch for the fact that jewellery retailers have not been letting the grass grow under their feet over the past 18 months. “What a year, stop start, stop start, but we’ve come through it, and areas of retail have certainly woken up to a new world,” she says. “We’re definitely seeing a back-to-business-asusual from most retailers, and there’s a definite raising of standards, from customer service and hospitality to display fittings and finishes. “We’ve found many of our clients have either continued in their pre-pandemic plans to refurbish or expand their showrooms, and some have started maximising on recent empty units on the high street, giving them further room for expansion.”
Inverness piercing area at Allum & Sidaway Salisbury