Rounding the final corner! Down the home stretch! Hitting his stride! Photo finish! I blame it on my birthday** but I've always appreciated horse racing metaphors. There's something so universally appealing about them, so evocative of a brief but heart-pounding excitement shared by a crowd that seems to hold its collective breath until the race is over.
That's a bit like how I feel about Jewelry Week, hosted annually in Sin City and attended by thousands of industry professionals in a business and social whirlwind. It's a fast-paced week, requiring immense amounts of energy and serious willpower to both get stuff done and have fun doing it.
For those of us on the non-retail side of the booth, the connections and sales generated at this show can make or break an entire year's worth of business (but y'know, no pressure). It's an opportunity to meet with clients in person, announce new and exciting things (!!), and yes, scope out the competition.
Buyers who attend are also on a mission: spend well, spend wisely. The glitter of the show is an easy distraction for the spendthrift store buyer, as it washes everything in an enticing aura of beauty and incites a covetous round of gotta-have-it fever.
This is, of course, the point. Any show is only as successful as its revenue generation -- in this case, not for the show itself, but for the sellers who attend it -- so a careful eye is kept on the general mood throughout the week. Trends are spotted, new and innovative offerings are critiqued, and dollars are measured.
We've been hearing a lot about the changes facing the industry right now, including questions about what retailers in particular should do to attract consumers of all ages and levels. It makes me wonder: what can both buyers and sellers learn from this show? What makes it so successful as an event, and how do we generate that kind of madhouse, leave-your-inhibitions-at-the-door vibe in our own businesses?
Something else to consider: the show has added a new area to the already-crowded floor, dedicating a space to what was once "crossover" and is now called simply "bridge" jewelry. This category consists of sterling-and-gold pieces with fashion and trendy appeal, at prices intended to be higher than basic fashion jewelry but lower or just approaching that of the fine category. It's the stuff millennials buy for themselves (in theory), and it's a popular but ever-moving target.
I'm interested to see the category perform in its own arena and not as second fiddle to its bookend price points. I will also be curious to learn if this one-size-fits-most approach feels like a fresh idea that just might save the middle of the market, or simply a rehash of the "entry level" model we see in the housing and auto markets. The former inspires repeat business, self purchasing, and aspirational purchases down the road. The latter sets buyers up for disappointment and frustration, stalling momentum and causing sales to drop. We'll see which side wins this coin toss.
And as usual, there will be a significant amount of M-word (Millennial) dropping in the exhibit halls. This ties in directly with the two ideas I just mentioned, and the prevalence of a heavy generational focus has helped me formulate a kind of consumer theory I've been kicking around: shifting the focus too far onto the fashion/bridge category could hinder the long-term, aspirational level sales, preventing sellers from converting the $500 spenders into $5K+ consumers. I have found that when someone is sold on "good enough," it can be all the more challenging to grow them into larger or more frequent purchasers.
So as the flag is raised on this year's show, I'll be keeping in mind these questions (and other thoughts) to revisit after the fact. Here's hoping it won't be heavy going for attendees, and that everyone will have free rein to buy and sell and enjoy themselves. I know I'm chomping at the bit to be on my way!
**Kentucky Derby Day. Every year without fail, my father-in-law (a horse racing fanatic) asks me to name the winning horse, who also happened to be one of only three fillies to ever win the Derby.