Gems shopping goes digital
Jewellery has sentimental value and priceless memories. So how does a local gems brand pivot to an online business and yet maintain the emotional aspect of a purchase? Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan finds out
BACK in 2012, when businessman Ethon Low Wai Kit went into the jewellery business, he was already keen on the online platform, even though jewellery purchase was still something tactile and personal.
Couples typically spend a long time looking for wedding rings as they symbolise a lasting union.
The brand, Tailored Jewel, was founded around the time that online e-commence portals Lazada and Zalora started to make their presence felt.
Low knew online was the way to go. He wanted to build his jewellery business around it, without compromising on the personal purchasing experience.
“We wanted to inject a new and fresh approach in promoting, marketing, distributing and servicing jewellery to the mass market.
“I knew the market will adopt this new retail experience so we created a reliable and trusted brand that can deliver superior quality jewellery at accessible prices,” he says.
Tailored Jewel sources its products from Hong Kong.
Low says they are made by some of the “oldest and most respected craftsmen, to ensure that our quality is the same or even beyond high-end brands”.
FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS
But beyond just products that gleam and shine, Low understands that jewellery is about feelings and emotions.
An online business, he says, doesn’t take that emotional attachment away from jewellery.
“There is the sentimental value that you get from a jewellery piece and the memory of a certain important life event. A marriage is a symbol of love and we want to commemorate these special memories with jewellery pieces.”
Jewellery also has sentimental value especially when they are passed on to family members, he adds.
“So, regardless of the pandemic or the physical distance, these intangible values and life stories will always be there. The jewellery market will remain strong because of the priceless sentiments attached to them,” he says.
THE WAY FORWARD
Low says it is obvious in the market that many brands now value the e-commerce and digital experience, for example, not having customers come to physical stores to buy wedding rings.
“Brands that already have an e-commerce platform have become very active during the pandemic and its subsequent movement controls.
“The pandemic has definitely affected the wedding industry. Many proposals and wedding plans are postponed. However, we still see a good number of customers proceeding with their ring purchase or have altered their wedding plans to a smaller scale for a more personal celebration.
“As for jewellers, most of us have been forced to rethink our business strategy. The entire physical jewellery purchase experience — the touch, feel and try-on — is now pivoted to the digital side.
“The challenge is to figure out how to enhance the digital experience when it comes to buying jewellery such as diamonds or rings.”