Jeweller - December 2020

OPINION
Soapbox
There are many e-commerce opportunities
for retailers – and suppliers are here to help
With the acceleration of e-commerce during COVID-19 lockdowns, the time is right for retailers
to integrate and invest in this side of their business, writes JOHN ROSE.
A successful online presence has become
an increasingly important part of any
jewellery retailer’s business. To allow
customers to browse and shop at your
store wherever they are, and whenever
they wish, exponentially increases the
potential for sales.
E-commerce has changed dramatically
over the past 10 years, and so has
consumer behaviour towards online
purchasing.
Gone are the days where consumers went
online simply to get a bargain. Most sites
offering cheap products are not trusted
and have lengthy delays in delivery of the
product, without any ability to talk to anyone
about delivery times, defects, returns,
etcetera. Customers do not want that.
The three main reasons why customers
buy online today are convenience, trust and
speed. Consumers, especially Australians,
prefer to buy from a trusted source that
they know. This is why Amazon has had a
far more difficult time making an impact on
the Australian market than it has overseas.
People are shopping from their desk
during their lunch break, on the bus, before
breakfast, late at night – whenever it is
convenient for them to do so.
So, how can jewellers capitalise on this
‘new normal’?
As a supplier to the jewellery industry, West
End Collection gets a lot of feedback from
retailers. Sell-out reports show major retail
operators selling seven to 10 times more of
our brands through their online store than
they do in their largest flagship store.
Why is this? It comes down to those three
factors of convenience, trust and speed.
Customers know that they can quickly and
easily buy a quality product online from
a trusted retailer that, should there be a
problem, they can talk to directly and drop
in to see should the need arise.
That part is critical: consumers want to
buy from a retailer they recognise, that
has a real presence here in Australia, and
that they can easily contact for customer
service.
The greatest advantage that physical stores
have over purely online stores is their loyal
existing customers, with whom they often
have a personal relationship. So, in order to
succeed, an online presence should be an
extension of the bricks-and-mortar store.
You don’t need to spend thousands of
dollars chasing potential customers, trying
to convince them to buy from you. The
easiest way to build your web sales is to
entice your existing walk-in customers –
not through discounts, or special offers, but
with the convenience of online shopping.
Starting an online store is quick, easy
and inexpensive – there are services such
as Shopify which do all the work for you.
The monthly rates for these services are
competitively priced and the extra features
available allow you to add more functions to
encourage sales.
To make the process even simpler,
suppliers – including West End Collection
– often offer digital integration with your
website, which allows you to upload
batches of watches and jewellery to your
website at the click of a button.
West End’s ‘Integrator’ service also
connects directly to our warehouse and
automatically updates retailers’ websites
when an item is out of stock, or when a
new item becomes available. Many of our
retailers are also offering drop-shipping,
which means fewer sales are lost due to
The greatest
advantage
that physical
stores have over
purely online
stores is their
loyal existing
customers, with
whom they often
have a personal
relationship.
So, in order to
succeed, an
online presence
should be an
extension of
the bricks-andmortar
store
lack of stock.
When an order comes in for an item that’s
not in store, the retailer simply ‘pushes’ the
delivery on to the supplier, which then ships
the item directly to the customer.
The other benefit to retailers of having
a quality website is being able to offer a
broader range of products than they could
carry in-store.
If a customer is in the store looking for a
particular piece of jewellery or a specific
watch, the retailer can simply show them the
item on the website. If the customer likes the
item, it can easily be ordered and be sent to
the store – no lost sale.
While it may seem counterintuitive,
customers often like to talk to someone
while they are browsing the retailer’s
website. This creates a genuine personalised
shopping experience and allows them to ask
for advice and guidance before they make
their purchase.
Further integrating the online-offline sales
process, retailers can use programs such
as Podium which allow them to send a text
message to the customer while they are
in-store, or after an online sale, prompting
them to leave a Google review.
These positive reviews boost the retailer to
the top of Google searches and add to their
online credibility, leading to more sales.
Making a website an extension of a physical
store is now becoming the standard, and
there are many clear benefits for retailers.
Name: John Rose
Company: West End Collection
Position: General manager
Location: Melbourne, VIC
Years in Industry: 23
66 | December 2020