SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner LucapaThe investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.
TechnologyMar 14, 2018
The Smart Lab: Foot Traffic Down? Digital Influence Up
In his first column, Emmanuel Raheb explores the inverse relationship between store sales and foot traffic.
“The Smart Lab” is a new column for National Jeweler, authored by Smart Age Solutions’ Emmanuel Raheb. In his first article, Raheb explores the inverse relationship between store sales and foot traffic.
In 2010, digital was changing the in-store shopping experience in ways that were yet to be understood. Many believed online shopping would never grow significantly and couldn’t foresee it as a threat to physical store sales, but data showed otherwise.
The truth is, digital has reshaped customer behavior and shopping for good, and that’s something retailers should be paying attention to while adjusting their business to this reality.
Many jewelry business owners are still reluctant about investing in digital, much of which is due to the fact that they simply don’t know how.
Ah-Ha Moment
I love showing the chart seen above as it’s really hits a cord with many retailers. I always hear retailers say, “My traffic is down; long gone are the days of customers waiting in line to buy.”
So I ask, are your sales up since 2010? Yes, most reply; so again I ask, how could that be if the lines are no more? And that’s the “Ah-ha” moment; customers are shopping online first, and then coming in to buy.
A consumer no longer goes from store to store shopping, they’re now “browsing” online store to store, and then going to a store to buy.
Consumers Are Still Buying
Consumers are getting more and more demanding; they want exactly what they are looking for and will not settle for anything less. On that matter, a quick web search on your browser is easier and faster than a visit to the mall.
Considering those facts, we can see that the competition is also changing.
A store’s biggest threat may not be the national e-commerce-only player anymore. Digital influence has been rapidly helping small and new businesses grow through creating a strong online presence, delivering quality customer experience and gaining a piece of the market share.
It’s All About Your Customer
Today’s customers are highly digital and have high expectations for what they want while shopping, be it online or in-store. The more integrated and multi-channel your business is, the more likely they are to shop at your store.
Companies are understanding the importance of having touchpoints, both online and offline with their audience; digital is fundamental. The physical store still plays a very important role on influencing a customer’s buying decision.
It is essential for
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
stores to digitize, in order to meet their customers’ expectations. That’s a never-ending job of improving your website, getting up to date with new technologies and trends, making your website mobile optimized and user-friendly, allowing one-click purchases and many more factors.
The key is to perceive your brand as a whole, making your brick-and-click experience function as one.
Are you delivering the experience that your customer expects you to? What about your competitors? Should you be focusing on them or on your client’s needs?
Consumers are still shopping, but are they shopping with you?
Emmanuel Raheb is the CEO of Smart Age Solutions, a top-tier digital ad agency and coveted Premier Google Partner. With nearly 18 years’ digital marketing and e-commerce experience in the jewelry industry, Raheb is passionate about helping and strategically growing national jewelry brands and local retailers alike. Contact Emmanuel at eraheb@smartagesolutions.com.
The key is to perceive your brand as a whole, making your brick-and-click experience function as one.
Are you delivering the experience that your customer expects you to? What about your competitors? Should you be focusing on them or on your client’s needs?
Consumers are still shopping, but are they shopping with you?
Emmanuel Raheb is the CEO of Smart Age Solutions, a top-tier digital ad agency and coveted Premier Google Partner. With nearly 18 years’ digital marketing and e-commerce experience in the jewelry industry, Raheb is passionate about helping and strategically growing national jewelry brands and local retailers alike. Contact Emmanuel at eraheb@smartagesolutions.com.
More on Technology
The Latest
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ EarringsThe counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Weekly QuizAug 15, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
Events & AwardsAug 18, 2025
IJO Announces 2025 Vendor of the YearAllison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LAThe full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
ICA Names 2025 Board of DirectorsThe board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Colorado Jeweler, Whiskey Maker Collab on Ring GiveawayThree winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.
SurveysAug 13, 2025
These Are The 25 Hottest Retailers, Says NRFJD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
Columbia Gem House Launches Winza Sapphires, RubiesThe new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.
SourcingAug 12, 2025
Gemfields Sells Fabergé for $50MAcquired by a tech investor, the historic brand will continue to focus on jewelry, accessories, and timepieces.
Policies & IssuesAug 12, 2025
Higher Tariff on Chinese Imports Paused for 90 Days, Trump SaysPresident Donald Trump issued an executive order extending the pause on higher tariffs to November as negotiations with China continue.
CollectionsAug 12, 2025
Jacquie Aiche’s New Collection Harnesses the Energy of the ThunderbirdThe “Thunderbird Slab” collection features a thunderbird motif as a symbol of power, protection, and boundless possibility.
ColumnistsAug 12, 2025
Creative Connecting: How to Take a Better HeadshotColumnists Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen share tips on how to elevate your professional image.
CrimeAug 11, 2025
Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder in Death of Colorado JewelerPeter Damian Arguello, a jeweler in the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, was found dead inside his store in November 2023.
