In early July this year, Palloys launched its new website Palloys.com, which merged Palloys, A & E Metals, Regentco and AGS|PJW all in one site. The new site allows jewellers to now order products and services from Palloys and obtain instant quotations for custom finished jewellery, wedding rings, fabricated metals, findings, gemstones, and metal refining through one invoiced account under the Palloys name.
The instant quoting for CAD files, casting from their own mould library, fabricated metals and diamonds allows jewellers to enjoy accurate and instant quotes they can pass onto their customers, giving the jewellers an instant competitive advantage, and eliminating the guesswork when designing to fit within a budget. The platform also has an emphasis on customisation, with jewellers able to select from more than 245,000 designs, adjusting metal type, style and stone size according to the customer’s budget. The jeweller can then view a 360-degree render of the design before placing the order. The website is the first of its kind in the world, allowing a jeweller the ability to obtain a price instantly for their CAD to be printed, cast and finished.
This launch has led me to reflect, on how much everything has now changed due to the current world environment. COVID has forced the jewellery industry to adapt in the way we all trade. More and more jewellers have been continuing their trade through their online stores and brand-new online platforms, to compliment, and in some cases cover the costs for their bricks and mortar locations.
Social media has changed the way jewellers communicate with their customers and each other via networking groups, one such group being the Young Jewellers Group. Groups such as this have allowed jewellers to network and seek advice on key processes and suppliers during the pandemic.
More and more jewellers have taken advantage of the COVID downtime and been developing their online presence with social media including Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, creating further avenues for jewellers to communicate with their customer base.
In late October, the Jewellery Industry Virtual Fair was hosted, something which no one in the industry a few years ago would have entertained, and now it may actually become the first of many. It is great to see that the industry is adapting to the new environment we all find ourselves in and as we approach Christmas trade, I am excited for what is to come for the industry as a whole.