Las Vegas: Trends To Profit From In 2014

With the Las Vegas show ahead, let’s look at a few of my picks for brands you need to keep your eyes on. It has been my strong belief for years that there is only one question you should be asking yourself when looking for new products at JCK. Can this line add $100,000 or more to my volume? If the answer is no, then why are you even looking at it? If the answer is yes, why have you not already written the order? Every store I know has too many vendors doing too little business. You will never grow your business nickel and diming your invertory mix because consumers will never notice the changes in your shuffled around case displays. Consumers see real brands and hot trends. They are not going to be moved to buy unless they see a compelling look or trend that they want to be a part of. Your job as a jewelry retailer is to be on that trend early so that the jewelry afficionadios in your market tell everyone…yours is THE store.

Here are three hot trending brands I think you must know about:

1) Heather B. Moore

Ok, I’ll be the first one to admit I missed Heather B. Moore at first. Perhaps it may be my lack of a uterus but the whole personalization thing is a uniquely feminine need. Heather Moore picks up where Pandora leaves off and gives more, shall we say, upscale women a personalized line. With their very cool embossing technology they can write almost anything in 18K gold or Sterling. It’s expensive, old looking and worth every penny. Heather B. Moore screams old money, which is why new money loves it. Bruce & Steve Williams ( Williams Jewelers, Denver ) have done a big business in the line ever since NFL wide receiver Eric Decker bought his wife Jesse an intimately monogramed ring and it took off on social media. It’s been building ever since.

2) Verragio

If there is a number two in the “I do” business, it’s Verragio. Tacori is the undisputed king of bridal with amazing name recognition coast to coast. They run a great company. But Tacori’s exclusivity also creates opportunity and from what I can see, Verragio is doing a great job building their elegant line as the real contender. Stores that sell both Tacori and Verragio report strong sell through for both lines. I am not a huge fan of brand madness in your bridal department, but you must have at least three key brands that tell a compelling design story. Verragio is getting real traction in top of mind awareness and is a much stronger choice than say…Scott Kay. This is a huge brand in the making. It’s time to get on board.

3) Shinola

This is the MUST buy watch of 2014. You may not have heard about Shinola but this brand is a rocket ship and you have about 6 months to act or you will miss this opportunity. Hand built in Detroit and sported by celebrities including Bill Clinton, Shinola is already an American success story. They also know how to market, with recent stories in Forbes, Business Week and TIME. Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Barney’s all sell them. McCaskill & Co in Destin, FL sold over 55 units in just the first 5 months with the line, need I say more? Priced from $525-$950 they will be limited to just 200 jewelers in the US. For an appointment to see Shinola at Vegas contact Sabrina Linden at sabrina@vpnyc.com today. It’s time to ride!

The TOP at the TOP!

Our Las Vegas VIP Dinner is set as usual for Thursday, May 29th at 7pm and because we had such stratospheric time last year we are once again high above the Las Vegas Strip at the Stratosphere. We are kicking it up a bit, if that’s possible, to a much larger ballroom upstairs with two story panoramic windows overlooking the spectacular lights of the neon city. Our special guests, Ofer-Mizrahi Diamonds are also planning some Las Vegas style entertainment after dinner! All of you Ideal Marketing Group members should have already received your VIP Pass to the event and should RSVP by email as soon as possible. Please let me know as well, how many will be joining us from your store. I can’t wait to see you there!