Michael Hill Jewellers plans to become a global brand with the opening of new stores in Asia, America and the UK in the new few years.
Speaking in Sydney yesterday after the launch of a consumer competition that gives couples the chance to win a 22 carat diamond engagement ring, Michael Hill Jewellers founder and chairman Michael Hill said that the company was “on the way” to achieving its 2002 vision of owning a “1000 stores around the world by 2022”.
To become a “global brand”, he said the company, which currently has over 250 stores in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, had already begun rolling out its new-look stores and “branding everything we sell”.
“We are starting to laser inscribe ‘Michael Hill’ on all our diamonds and sell only Michael Hill watches in stores – we are also launching a Michael Hill perfume next year.
“We want to be the Zara of the jewellery business. We want our stores to look like one of the swankiest jewellers customers have ever seen but to offer amazing value for money as well.”
The Ultimate Engagement Ring – Search for the World’s Best Couple competition, which was launched by Hill and Kim Kardashian in New York, Toronto and Chicago last week and Sydney yesterday, will help promote the brand in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Couples who register for the competition at www.my22ct.com will take part in challenges that will be peer-voted using social networking sites with the final six highest ranked couples then put to a panel of special judges including Hill to decide the ultimate winning couple.
Hill said the competition is “our way of giving something back”.
“I have made a career out of the love and romance industry so when I found this rare diamond I thought it would be a perfect prize for our search.
“The contest is free to enter and open to anyone over the age of 18 in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – whether they have just met, are engaged or have been married for 50 years.”