In an interview with National Jeweler, Rocksbox President Allison Vigil explained why the previously only-online retailer is opening brick-and-mortar stores.
New York—Rocksbox is ready to move into physical retail, with plans to open seven stores this year.
Now, Rocksbox is opening physical stores in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and its hometown of San Francisco, with three open so far and four more to follow.
The move comes at a time when parent company Signet Jewelers is looking to downsize its footprint, closing stores in underperforming malls while renovating others.
And yet, Rocksbox is ready to expand and set up shop in mall locations.
In an interview with National Jeweler, Rocksbox President Allison Vigil shared more about the retailer’s plans, how it fits into Signet’s big picture, and what customers can expect from the new locations.
Rocksbox opened its newest store in New York City on Wednesday. It’s located at 239 Elizabeth St., the neighborhood known as Nolita, or North of Little Italy.
As part of Signet’s new “Grow Brand Love” strategy, the company wants to create a clear distinction among its various retail chains while also growing its presence in the fashion jewelry space and catering to the self-purchaser.
(Fashion jewelry, in this context, refers to jewelry that is not considered demi-fine/bridge or fine jewelry. Fashion jewelry is also known as costume jewelry.)
Rocksbox fits this bill, according to Vigil.
“Rocksbox has always played on the fashion side, and, previously, with the rental model, it was a little less direct how we fit into the overall portfolio strategy,” she said.
“But now, with our transition into retail, it’s really clear that we have this amazing opportunity to leverage the best of Signet with our unique lens on fashion.”
Vigil said the average Rocksbox customer is a professional female between the ages of 25 and 45 who is buying jewelry for herself.
The brand is an important piece of Signet’s strategy to move further into fashion jewelry.
Rocksbox President Allison Vigil
While Rocksbox started by offering fashion jewelry, it later branched out to demi-fine and then fine jewelry, all of which will be offered in the new stores.
Rocksbox offers jewelry from 18 brands, including Kendra Scott, Kate Spade, Ana Luisa, and Lele Sadoughi, as well as jewelry from its two in-house brands, with prices mostly under $300.
The store also has a small selection of accessories, like headbands, and gifting items, like bag charms and small jewelry boxes.
Rocksbox has been experimenting with its jewelry assortment while leaning into its roots as a retailer that offers multiple brands under one roof.
“We intentionally have a mix of outside designers and then our own Rocksbox-branded products, which we are very proud of,” she said, noting that its assortment has expanded to include more gold vermeil, lab-grown diamond, and fine jewelry options.
“We’re so excited to be bringing customers a breadth of choice that allows them to find the style that they want at the quality and a price that works for their budget.”
The new stores will be decked out in Rocksbox’s signature colors, white, ivory, black, and pink, with vanity mirrors throughout the store.
The setup invites customers to play with the fashion jewelry via a central “try-on” table and interactive displays, encouraging them to experiment with new styles.
The new and pre-owned fine jewelry, however, will be in traditional showcases.
A look inside Rocksbox’s Nolita store
“We’re focused on creating an environment that’s really warm and approachable and inviting,” Vigil said.
It’s an intentional shift from the more traditional jewelry store format.
“We wanted to take the pressure off. We wanted to be really experiential and trial-oriented. That’s very much in our DNA, that trial and discovery,” she said.
The retailer wants to encourage shoppers to be excited about the discovery process, she said.
Rocksbox plans to bring new activations and events to the stores, with the central idea of styling in mind.
A visitor to Rocksbox’s San Francisco store received a color analysis to see which colors looked best on them.
Ideas have included bringing jewelry designers into the stores to help style their own pieces and offering color analysis to help shoppers determine which colors suit them best.
Permanent jewelry also will be offered at Rocksbox stores in the near future.
As for whether or not the company’s rental service will be revived, Vigil said there are no plans to bring it back right now.
However, fans of the service could see it return as a reward perk for loyal customers, though it’s not yet been confirmed, she added.
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Rocksbox’s new store in New York City’s Nolita neighborhood, which opened Wednesday, is street level, as is its store on San Francisco’s Fillmore Street, where it opened its pop-up store in late 2024.
Rocksbox opened a pop-up shop in San Francisco last year, which has transitioned into a permanent location.
Rocksbox still, however, believes in the draw of a good mall.
“The balance of our first wave of stores is really focused on getting into high-traffic malls and lifestyle centers and high-visibility locations within those centers,” Vigil said.
“We’re really trying to use these first few doors as an opportunity to amplify the brand, drive brand awareness, get in front of as many new customers as possible, and then learn as rapidly as we can to inform the next steps.”
Rocksbox recently opened a store in Broadway Plaza, an outdoor mall in Walnut Creek, California.
The retailer said it’s choosing markets where it knows its millennial and Gen Z consumers shop for fashion.
Whether or not a mall is a good fit is all about location, location, location.
“There are some malls that are still enjoying incredible traffic and have a really curated merchandising mix and experience, and we’re delighted to be a part of it,” Vigil said.
