Jewelry Section

Where the Jewelry (From page 147) that’s so much of the sell,” said Bria-Pugliese. Fine jewelry is still encased, but lower end jewelry is displayed so customers can enjoy that tactile experience.

Bria-Pugliese keeps the Bold B jewelry by the register. She finds customers are drawn to Bold B’s colors–like aqua and ultra marine–when they’re cashing out. She keeps the Ethic Goods bracelets across from the register on an antique piece of furniture in a small basket. “People gravitate towards that all day long,” said Bria-Pugliese. “And that’s also why I think the line sells so well: It’s out for people to see and feel and for us to tell them about it.”

Samantha Needham , manager and assistant buyer at the BellaJames boutique located in San Jose, Ca said necklaces and earrings sell best for them. She believes customers favor these because they like to change their necklaces along with their outfits. Necklaces also make up most of their jewelry stock.

“A statement necklace elevates any outfit,” said Needham.

Needham said they think of their store as a “lifestyle,” which caters to a wide range of customers. “We have a wide variety of jewelry with price points starting at $24,” said Needham. They carry pieces constructed with various metals and materials to provide their customers with a wide selection of unique jewelry. “Customers love supporting local vendors,” said Needham.

In displaying their jeweled wares, they like to keep vendors together. “Each vendor has their own style, so showcasing them individually makes for more stand-out pieces,” said Needham. ❖

Are You Planning On Bringing In More Jewelry, Or Scaling Back Your Selection? Why?

At Two Friends, Marti Tolleson said they’ll keep buying jewelry at the same rate or increase it.

“Many times, if a woman already has an outfit and doesn’t necessarily want to invest a large dollar amount in another outfit, she’ll change her look using her accessories,” commented Tolleson.

At BellaJames, Samantha

Needham said that they plan to increase their jewelry selection. It was a slower category during Covid, but is starting to become more important now that people are going back to work, she said.

Barbara Bria-Pugliese said she’s always looking for more jewelry. She’ll be heading to the Atlanta gift show next week to do just that. Her location is a tourist destination– consisting of snow- birds from October to May–and those on vacations from May through October. These travelers are always interested in picking up a new piece of jewelry.

“No matter what, jewelry is always a top seller for us: It’s either a pick me up gift because they’re on vacation or a great gift-giving item when they’re here,” said BriaPugliese. ❖