Jewelers who misinterpret the state of the jewelry market risk employing the wrong retail strategy, cautions columnist Sherry Smith.
Pandora Joins Site That Lets Customers Virtually Unwrap Gifts
The company has more than 1,000 items for sale on SmartGift as it focuses on online sales during the pandemic.

New York—In the midst of COVID-19 store closures, Pandora, like so many companies, has been leaning on its online sales.
“The online business is firing on all cylinders and this is a resilient channel that we can continue to push very hard,” CEO Alexander Lacik said in the company’s first-quarter earnings call earlier this month.
Building on that momentum, the Danish jeweler partnered with an e-commerce gift-giving platform called SmartGift in late April.
SmartGift is a digital gifting service that allows shoppers to select an item and send it to a recipient who virtually unwraps it via text, email or other digital platforms.
Shoppers can sort through gifts based on the recipient and receive recommendations for a friend versus a sister, as well as filter by price range.
After virtually opening the gift, the recipient then can decide to keep it or swap it out for a different item that’s the same price. Recipients can also choose to change the size, color or style.
Once the recipient chooses what they want, the shopper confirms the purchase and is charged.
“Being able to support and connect with our customers through digital activations is crucial during these uncertain times,” said David Walmsley, global chief digital officer at Pandora, in a press release.
The company was on the platform in time for Mother’s Day and now, graduation season, selling charms like the Wise Owl or Graduation Books.
“We are delighted to partner with Pandora Jewelry, a highly gift-centric brand, to mark such a momentous occasion in the lives of graduates,” said SmartGift CEO Monika Kochhar.
The platform is designed to help brands lower the cost of customer acquisition and increase purchase frequency, said SmartGift.
Pandora currently has more than 1,000 items available via SmartGift, including many of its top-selling charms.
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