The Plumb Club’s Podcast

Maximize Your Vendor Partnerships

Ensuring that you have a supportive business partner in your vendor is the glue that holds that relationship together and one of the cornerstones of a retailer’s success. There are many ways in which the perfect vendor can support a retailer’s success, with product and services that extend across every tactic from analysis and insights, to proper merchandise assortment for your specific region or target customer, to marketing support in advertising or social media elements. Wendy Fox and Laura Bronkesh of Richline group discuss the importance of finding a trusted vendor and provide examples and suggestions on the many tools that a supplier can provide to help ensure a retailer is successful. Richline Group, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. and the USA’s foremost fine jewelry manufacturer and marketer.

Unlocking AI For Marketing

Confused about getting started with Artificial Intelligence? AI is transforming jewelry marketing, going beyond buzzwords to showcase practical applications. AI-powered personalization tailors product recommendations and marketing messages, boosting customer engagement and conversions. AI-powered chatbots handle customer inquiries, freeing your team for higher-value tasks. Rick Mulholland from Continental takes the listener through how AI can identify trends, optimize pricing strategies and inform critical business decisions. Further he discusses how AI can help with a variety of tasks such as product descriptions, social media posts and design concepts. Continental is one of the largest jewelry manufacturers in the world with an extensive and varied range of jewelry to suit every customer.

Brand Training - Up Your Brand

A successful brand training program is crucial for jewelry retailers, as it not only defines the brand's unique selling proposition and key features but also fosters an emotional connection with customers through personalized interactions. This knowledge empowers retailers to create a strong brand identity and position themselves effectively in the market. In this podcast, Rick Mulholland from Novell shows how well-trained employees lead to increased customer satisfaction and repeat business, improved sales by effectively communicating the brand's value, and an enhanced brand reputation that attracts new customers.

Making a Difference with Jewelry Design

Jewelry design isn’t just about creating beautiful pieces, it’s a strategic tool that can help set retailers apart from competition, deepen relationships with customers and provide consumers with a unique, meaningful and emotional experience that can lead to incremental retail sales. In this podcast, award winning jewelry designer Robin Garin, of Indigo Jewelry takes the listener through how a jewelry retailer benefits from offering this customized service. She discusses the steps in the process, offering tips on how to make the experience easy and successful for both the retailer and the customer.

Break Six Rules to Sell More Bands

How do you add excitement to the men’s band category? By breaking all the unwritten rules that keep your band showcase boring and your sales disappointing. In this podcast sponsored by Benchmark, we discuss the six rules of the men’s band category and how you can break them to make men’s bands a profit center in your store and attract a new generation of consumers who are less tied to tradition and more interested in personal expression. Benchmark is a USA based manufacturer located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Benchmark was founded in 1973. Benchmark precision manufactures all precious metals and select boutique contemporary metals. Benchmark focuses on design, speed of delivery, ease of use and strong marketing support. Benchmark uses recycled precious metals.

Mastering The Brand Balancing Act

The jewelry brands that you carry can be a powerful way to reinforce your store brand, not compete with it. This podcast sponsored by Quality Gold gives tips on successfully balancing your own brand point of view with the positioning of the brands you carry to create a memorable and exciting shopping experience. Mastering the brand balancing act will help you stand out from the competition, increase sales and deepen customer trust and loyalty. Quality Gold is a worldwide company offering more than 165,000 jewelry and gift items in stock and available to ship same day and more than 150,000 special order items for purchase by retailers. The company continues to expand its extensive product line to offer the widest selection of quality products and services at competitive prices. Quality Gold is committed to your long-term success and viability.

Securing the Sale: Is Gold Filled Jewelry Right For You

There are many misconceptions about gold filled jewelry. However, gold filled product can provide stores with lower price pointed merchandise that can help secure a potential sale if the staff are confident in their knowledge. In this podcast Kye Ehrlich of The Marathon Company helps to provide the tools to discuss how gold-filled jewelry is made, the benefits for retailers who carry the category and how to care for the pieces. The Marathon company is a privately held, third generation family business founded in 1897. The company serves independent jewelers and large jewelry store chains. Marathon is the leading manufacturer of children’s jewelry in the USA and also manufactures sterling silver baby gifts, fine ladies lockets, bracelets and religious jewelry.

Inflation Survival Guide

Inflation, no matter the cause, affects every facet of the industry. It’s important to have a proficient understanding and a strategy to make the necessary adjustments in business. Michael West, director of sales at Rosy Blue NY, helps listeners understand the forces and dynamics of inflation and increasing interest rates and provides helpful strategies to adapt and thrive in a competitive market. With a long and distinguished history of excellence in the diamond industry, Rosy Blue is one of the world’s foremost diamantaires, with a presence in 10 countries around the world. Rosy Blue is a certified RJC member and monitors every diamond passing through the manufacturing and finishing process, assuring customer of the integrity of all their stones.  

Say Yes to Colored Gemstone Engagement Rings

The market for colored gemstone engagement rings has been growing steadily over the past few years. Cheryl Kremkow, on behalf of Plumb Club Member Carl K. Gumpert shares ways that you can make the most of this opportunity. Hear from experts Marty Hurwitz of market research firm The MVEye, Severine Ferrari, founder of Engagement 101 and jewelry journalist and trend forecaster Jennifer Heebner on the consumers driving demand, top trends, and what you can do to capture more sales of unique engagement rings for your store. With over 70 years in the jewelry industry, Carl K. Gumpert, Inc. is a major fine jewelry manufacturer and diamond supplier, providing its customers with individualized manufacturing services and outstanding quality and value.

Beyond the Sparkle - Gemstones in Modern Consumer Trends

Gemstones are an important part of a well-rounded assortment for jewelry stores. The gemstone market is experiencing steady growth and is projected to increase over 50% in the next number of years. Anthony Marotta, of Plumb Club Member Prime-Art & Jewel (PAJ) showcases the rise of gemstones and highlights some of the elements that are spurring consumer knowledge and growth in the category.  He talks about the increasing popularity of lab grown gemstones and some of the current trends in gender neutral jewelry, jewelry with meaning and symbolism, as well as colored gemstone bridal and statement pieces. PAJ has made a name for itself as one of the leading jewelry manufacturers in the world, with their use of superior craftsmanship and a focus on customer satisfaction.