Add Some LUSTER to Your Store

Pearls have always been a classic symbol of beauty, sophistication, and glamour. But today's wide array of pearl varieties and colors, as well as the amazing creativity of jewelry designs featuring these lustrous orbs, have also made pearls a symbol of fashion that women of all ages and lifestyles can wear with every look and for every occasion.

For retailers, however, selling pearls can often be a challenge—after all, customers typically don't know nearly as much about the origin, varieties, and features of pearls as they do about diamonds. And training salespeople to "get" pearls and sell them well is no easy task. So when a customer walks through your store, how likely is it that they will be drawn to your pearl selection?

But you can create higher interest and bigger sales of pearls in your store, pearl savvy retailers say—it just takes some time, effort, and creativity to build some powerful pearl excitement.

Kimberly Adams Russell, president of Frank Adams Jewelers in Albany, New York, says the key to pearl selling success is a creative and passionate staff. "You need to have the ability to turn the classic strand of pearls into a wardrobe essential that offers fashion, elegance, and tradition all in one piece of jewelry," she says.

Carrying a wide selection is also a key factor, notes Kathy Grenier, marketing and public relations manager at the Cultured Pearl Association of America. "You need to have a variety for the customer to select from," she says. Then you can add an element of the unexpected, a piece that will make people notice your pearl case even if they don't buy that particular item. "It spices things up a little," she says. "They may pay attention to it and buy something 'pearl' as a result."

But no matter what, say successful retailers, knowing your product is absolutely essential. "You have to do your homework," says John Anthony Jr. of John Anthony Jewelers, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. "You need to learn the difference in the type, shape, color, and origin of the pearls you are dealing with, as well as the types of pearls and color that go with styles and hair color and clothing."

These retailers warn their peers not to fall into the old myth that pearls are worn only for weddings or only on Sunday. "Pearls are for dress, work, and fun," says Adams. "They are one of the most versatile pieces of luxury anyone could own."

And in these days of rising prices and shrinking budgets, pearls also represent value. "The prices of pearls haven't gone up like the price of gold," says Peter Bazar of Imperial. "You can still find pearl pieces at those price points under $100 or under $500."

In terms of displays, don't simply show your pearls with other pearls, warns Adams. Pearls, she points out, can be layered and worn with gold, silver, and other gemstone jewelry to create looks from classic to contemporary. "This shows customers how to think outside the box," she says.

On the other hand, not displaying pearls in an orderly fashion, such as not showing graduated sizes on a uniform display, can confuse some customers, says Eileen Alexanian, owner of Diamonds & Dunes in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. "They need to be educated, for example, why akoyas cost more than freshwaters. Sometimes it comes down to budget, and that's when freshwaters are an excellent choice, but don't undersell the potential akoya customer."

But Alexanian agrees that diversity in your selection is key: "You want to offer the basics in every size, such as pearl studs and strands in different millimeter sizes and freshwaters in different colors," adding that fashion-forwardness comes by mixing up your offerings with non-traditional pearls, such as eclectic designs featuring sterling silver. "You want to sell the benefits of having a variety of styles of pearl jewelry that can be mixed and matched without being so conforming."

Adams agrees, saying that adding a variety of lengths and layering pearls is "one of the most simple add-on sales in retail today." You can create sales opportunities by offering possibilities to personalize your customer's pearl wardrobe. "The pearl market offers more choices than ever before, with colors from silver to chocolate and shapes from biwa to baroque."

Having a great selection and attention-getting displays still won't make the sale, however, if your sales associates don't understand what it takes to get customers interested in buying pearls. "It's a combination of their communication skills and having the basic knowledge to tell customers what they're looking at," says Grenier. "And, you need a level of confidence in what you're saying." If salespeople don't feel comfortable showing something, they'll avoid it.

For Elizabeth Parker, co-owner of Curt Parker Jewelry in St. Louis, Missouri, the bottom line is if you want to do better at selling pearls, you need to be committed to selling them well. "You have to establish yourself by stocking a lot of pearls in different types, and developing your own way of presenting them," she says. "It can be knowledge-based, but it really has to be an emotional sell. You have to put them on the woman, you have to have your female staff model them."

Diamonds, she says, are a no-brainer for many jewelers. Pearls, however, are something that many don't understand or have a feeling for. The difference, she says, is just a lack of information. "If you talk to people about the best qualities of pearls, their luster, and their color, while the pearls are on her, and what they can do for her, that is appealing."

The bottom line, says Grenier, is about overcoming preconceived notions about pearls. "The job of the jeweler," she explains, "is to open their customers' eyes wide to see all the choices available."