New York--After professional researchers spent three years visiting jewelry stores across the country and surveying consumers about their experiences, the conclusion was unavoidable: Americans simply don't like shopping at jewelry stores.

"It's kind of average out there," Diamond Promotion Service (DPS) Director Claudia Rose said about the current jewelry retail environment during her presentation titled "Winning or Losing in the Year Ahead," held during the Women's Jewelry Association's recent Women in the Know Conference in New York City.
 
But especially during these recessionary times--as jewelers are losing increasingly scant sales opportunities to other types of retailers--Rose urged the audience to use the shortcomings revealed in recent research to put some smart strategies into play, from shaking up jewelry placements inside the showcase to sending a welcoming vibe to those perennial "just-looking" shoppers who seem like they won't buy.

To recap the bad news, a three-year study of jewelry retailing across the United States conducted between 2005 and 2008 by JWT, which handles advertising for De Beers, turned up some unsettling statistics:

--About 30 percent of consumers who visited a specific jewelry store said they would never go back to that same store, a very high turnoff rate.

--About 80 percent of women said they would prefer to shop at a clothing or book store instead of a jewelry store.

--Only 7 percent of those surveyed found jewelry stores fun, just 4 percent found them innovative and only 1 percent found them welcoming.

But given the negative findings, the good news is that there are a number of ways in which jewelers can heighten the shopping experience, according to Rose, who reeled off a list of insights about consumers insights designed to help retailers turn their stores into magnets for shoppers.

"All of these ideas began as discussions with consumers," Rose said.

Chief among the ideas was the concept that jewelers should welcome, rather than snub, consumers who come into the store just to browse. Some of these non-buyers might come back on their own to buy, while others might deploy a husband or boyfriend to go back and close the deal. The important thing to remember about female shoppers in particular is that shopping is as much about the pursuit as it is the purchase, and women often have a specific piece they want in mind, such as a 7-carat diamond bracelet, Rose said.

"We all know if women want diamond jewelry they know what they want and will campaign for it," she said. "Jewelers should also let customers know that they can get them more than what is in the store."

To get in touch with what consumers want, Rose also suggested that manufacturers help out retailers by sharing with them information on what types of designs and what price ranges are popular in their regions and types of store. Or retailers can ask associates to rate their favorite pieces each month. Investing in quantitative type research is less expensive than retailers might think, Rose said.
 
Another necessary change: Jewelry stores need to be more welcoming, luxurious and even more hip.

"They [consumers] want pampering, inspiring, elegant, exotic," Rose said, flashing images from such brands as luxury beauty product purveyor L'Occitane en Provence and yogurt shop Pinkberry as examples of places that are exciting for consumers to visit.

Rose also suggested that retailers try transparent pricing so that customers don't have to feel embarrassed to ask what the price is. Offering up figures doesn't necessarily mean shoppers will go toward something less expensive, but they want to know if they can afford it before they go any further, and they want to know why a piece costs as much as it does.

"Identify prices for items or at least price ranges," Rose said. Stores might also consider in-store price menus, either on paper or on touch screens, that would allow shoppers to browse items on their own.

"Price ranges on Web sites are really important," Rose said. "Consumers will price ahead and will go to a rival if you don't even list your prices."

In terms of presentation, research shows that consumers prefer eye-level displays, unique props and "copy cards," which can be set out next to a piece to call out special aspects in the design, such as a 1920s art deco influence and the like.

Another important insight that the research noted was that consumers often think they know more than staff about products. To combat this, jewelers need to make sure that employees are well-trained. There is a host of free downloadable information available via industry groups including the DPS' own Web site, DPS.org, which offers six downloadable training programs, Rose said.

Another key opportunity for change lies in jewelers' showcases. The research shows that consumers browse windows and displays six to 12 times--far more frequently than most jewelers change their cases or window displays--to see what's new. If consumers see the same old thing, they will just move along, Rose said.

And in this economy, she warned, that's the last thing jewelers need.