(A More Affordable) Fashion Week September 12, 2007
"Jewelry Television (JTV) is strengthening its presence in the fashion marketplace, keeping up with and setting seasonal trends. We're more than an on-air and online shopping portal. Our viewers consistently look to us for fashion inspiration, advice and our quality jewelry at unbelievable prices," explains Natalie Parman, Vice President of Merchandising.
Many of you may be scoffing at Natalie as you read this and you may be thinking that JTV’s products are far beyond anything that you could be brining consumers and that’s your right. Gary Roskin, our resident gemologist, even informed me that the irradiated colored diamonds online are all I2-I3 clarity grades (the lowest possible grades), which you could say is a bit of a rip, but I'm an optimist.
Say what you will about the quality of some of the pieces sold on JTV, but anything that turns people on to jewelry can't be all bad.
Look at this way: jewelry (among other things) is supposed to make people feel glamorous and for those who can’t afford the higher-price points JTV fills that need and (we can only hope that) once those consumers get a small taste of the glamour felt by even an I2 or I3 piece that they will educate themselves enough to start investing in some bigger brands that you may carry in your stores. Or not, it is their choice, obviously.
Now, that isn’t to say that JTV is more of a JV jewelry market, their company stats would bury that argument in a second, but rather that it is a good point of entry, for some, into our industry. One simply can’t discount the “feel good” factor of buying your first piece of jewelry, regardless of whether it was over the phone from JTV or over the counter at Cartier and no one should be out to.
If nothing else, you’ve got to give JTV credit for smart marketing; I know that many of you are already secretly planning your Fashion Week promos for next year.
September 17, 2007 In response to:(A More Affordable) Fashion Week Robyn Hawk commented:
Bacilio - I have to commend you on this post - so many people talk down about the shopping networks. But I have always felt that they reach such a huge audience (much larger than ANY individual jeweler can hope to reach) - and developing that large base of customers that love jewelry? How can that be a bad thing? I don't think anyone expects their goods to rival product at the finer stores - but nothing feels more glamorous than your first diamond ring when you thought you would never own one. I think they have started a whole new group of people stopping at Jewelry store windows. In the case of JTV their gemstone buyers are encouraged to collaborate with their local jewelers to mount their gemstone purchases. I think that if jewelers spent less time criticizing JTV & their products and more time talking up their own product and skills they may just steal an educated customer.
