Where the Jewelry Always Fits

Jewelry Trends at Gift Shops and Boutiques

By Carimé Lane

“When a woman’s not feeling her best, she can always find a beautiful piece of jewelry,” said Marti Tolleson , owner of Two Friends on St. Simon’s Island. “It always seems to fit.”

Here, we have the scoop on why three gift shops and/or boutiques are stocking up on more jewelry, how they cater to their demographics, and more.

Two Friends is a 4,500-square-foot lifestyle boutique that sells items including clothing, gifts, home goods and art on St. Simon’s Island. They typically sell jewelry meant to complement an outfit bought in-store or purchased with a special occasion in mind, such as heading out to dinner.

Their customer avatar covers three categories: teenage granddaughter, mother and grandmother ranging in age from 16-95-years-old. Because the store is located in a resort community, all three groups shop at the store regularly.

When buying jewelry for the shop, Tolleson keeps these demographics in mind. For instance, for younger customers, she’ll buy trendy items with the understanding that this customer group may lose or quickly tire of their jewelry. On the other hand, she’ll remember ‘grandmothers’ often have money to spend, a more discerning eye and typically are willing to buy jewelry for all three generations when they attend the store together.

Two Friends buys jewelry of various price ranges, again with the knowledge they are catering to three demographics.

Finer pieces are displayed in a cabinet showcased using thoughtful lighting and placement. These cabinets are also within eyeshot of their front counter.

Otherwise, they tend to display the jewelry according to vendor.