Think bridal jewelry sales are strong only around the holidays? Think again. Sales of men’s wedding bands are historically strongest in April and May in the United States—right before millions of couples head down the aisle.
Which is why we asked Sally Furrer, a jewelry merchandising consultant with 20 years of experience, to weigh in on ways to boost the look of your bridal section this spring. Here are her top tips for making your display dazzle:
Think beyond the bride
“In April and May, your emphasis should be on wedding bands, bridal party gifts, and the mother of the bride, which is a growing category for many stores,” says Furrer. “The mother of the bride may be upgrading the size of her diamond or freshening up the mounting. It’s been very popular.”
Crank up the lights
“Lighting makes such a huge difference in how your product looks,” says Furrer. “You want the product to sparkle and have a really enticing look to it. It’s remarkable to me how often diamond areas are underlit in stores.”
Keep it together
Furrer recommends keeping all wedding-related jewelry together, as opposed to dividing merchandise by gender or metal. “It gives a stronger message of ‘We are a bridal store,’” she explains.
Let your walls express themselves
“Photographs and lettering on the walls that’s bridal-related…communicates who you are and what you do,” says Furrer, who recalls advising a client to replace the lovely landscape photos on the walls with chic black-and-white bridal photos, framed in silver. “I like to see photographs of couples that are multigenerational, because people are getting married later these days. So you don’t want an 18-year-old couple on the wall. And it’s best to feature regular people who are approachable-looking, instead of supermodels.”
Ditch the tchotchkes
Furrer thinks displays full of roses, tulle, garters and wedding cakes are outdated, and favors keeping visuals simple and stylish. “It’s about connecting and painting a picture using visual images, not [silly] elements,” she says.
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