The wonderful story of one of our clients
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Many specialized stores in the industry are experiencing a decline in the sale of the major trendy jewelry brands. Markus Kleyling, Johann Griesshaber jewelry store owner in Villigen, has overcome this problem and started to sell again high quality products, thanks to Facet Barcelona.
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Transcribed interview:GZ: How did you come up with the idea of selling again fine jewelry?
MK: My core experience is on the high quality sector. I have worked at Wempe Jewelry, at Jungfernstieg in Hamburg and worked as head of the watchmaking department at the Christ chain. Fifteen years ago when I decided to work on my own, I put my focus on the fine jewelry segment. It worked very well until I had to discharge the business for personal reasons. The liquidation sale ruined the prices. At that time the trendy brands were the ones that worked best in the market so I had oriented my business towards them and at the beginning we had great success. However, in recent years, sales have fallen again due to online competition. Something had to be changed. In the 2018 edition of the Inhorgenta fair in Munich, I went to visit several brands in search of a jewelry supplier and I found Facet.
GZ: What happened after that?
MK: I personally know the head of their German branch, Oliver Dünkel, for many years. During the Inhorgenta Munich fair, he shared with me the main concept of the company and I realized that they offered many business opportunities: high jewelry accessible even for a young target, fashionable, but not following the latest trends; that has a reasonable price and a good quality.
GZ: Did you decide to try them?
MK: Yes I did. At the beginning I decided to start with 14KT gold and diamond jewelry pieces, and then I also decided to sell 18KT gold and H-SI diamond rings. We set the prices between 1.500€ and 1.800€ and everything was successfully sold. We overcame the decrease in sales of the quartz watches (that were a huge trend) of the previous year with the sale of Facet’s fine jewelry pieces.
GZ: What do you value the most about working with Facet Barcelona?
MK: Their delivery capacity is very good, and even better with their ring collection. Young people are looking for immediacy. The delivery is always in less than a week. In addition, the fact that they don’t want to be seen as a brand is important for me as well. I can get a better margin and decorate the displays as I prefer. Also, they don’t do e-commerce and we sell the products as ‘’Griesshaber’s Golden Collection’’.
GZ: How do you advertise the jewels?
MK: We have been present in social media for several years now and this channel has perfectly worked for us. We are very well-known and trustworthy in our region.
GZ: What’s on now?
MK: I have found many different fine jewelry partners at this year’s Inhorgenta fair. Nowadays, my product range is made up of engagement rings, pearls and fine jewelry with colored gems. Step by step, I will change completely the approach of my business.
For the jeweler, it is the best time to level up and re-climb in the high jewelry industry.
Oliver Dünkel, General Director in Facet Munich[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]