Events & AwardsJun 05, 2025
The 12 Fresh Faces in Couture’s Design AtelierDiscover the dozen up-and-coming brands exhibiting in the Design Atelier for the first time.
EditorsNov 19, 2014
Retail words of the year
On Tuesday, Oxford Dictionaries named its 2014 “Word of the Year,” the orderly amassing of letters that, according to the professional wordsmiths at Oxford, has “attracted a great deal of interest during the year to date.”
Oxford crowned “vape” the word of the year in 2014. Vape can be used as a noun or a verb (but, then again, can’t almost anything these days?) and refers to an e-cigarette device (n.) or the physical act of breathing an e-cigarette’s vapor (v.).
Word of the year runners-up included normcore, a trend in which unfashionable clothing is worn as a fashion statement (clearly hipsters’ habits are creeping out of Brooklyn’s Williamsburg and into our daily lexicon); slacktivism, when one’s political activism is limited to, for example, liking a cause on Facebook; and bae, a term of endearment for one’s significant other.
All this nerdy word talk near year’s end got me thinking about the trends that shaped retailing in 2014, and the words we use to define them.
At first, I was going to make this blog a list of three, or perhaps even five, words that sum up the year for jeweler. People love lists nowadays, don’t they? The 10 wedding dresses weirder than Solange Knowles, the 50 best memes of Kim Kardashian’s naked posterior, the five cat videos one can’t live without ... we just can’t get enough, apparently.
But then I thought, lists be damned. I am going to do this one at a time.
The first word that came to mind when I applied the retail lens to Oxford’s Word of the Year exercise was omnichannel, giving customers a seamless shopping experience whether they are in the store, shopping from a desktop or mobile device, or browsing a brand via social media.
Omnichannel retailing is evidence of something one industry analyst told me a few years ago that has stuck with me: People have shopped at brick-and-mortar stores since the marketplaces that served as the centerpieces of ancient civilizations.
Shopping is more than just getting what you need. It’s a social experience as well, and that’s never going to disappear entirely in favor of buying from an iPad. The millions of people who will be rounding up their sisters, cousins and aunts to hit the stores right after Thanksgiving dinner? That’s as much about socializing as it is shopping.
But the Internet has changed how people shop, obviously.
At first, the Internet created this us-vs.-them construct, pitting traditional brick-and-mortar stores against pure-play online retailers.
For independent
jewelers, it seemed at one point that they were losing the battle to online engagement ring sellers like Blue Nile.
As time wore on, however, the playing field began to level out a bit. Jewelers learned how to better compete with their online nemeses, and consumers began to find more of a balance, embracing both the convenience of the Internet while at the same time gravitating toward retailers who share their values. (To this end, I think the impersonal nature of the Internet has been, in some ways, a boon for small, locally owned businesses. But that is a topic for part II of this blog when I discuss another one of my Word of the Year picks, local.)
The novelty of buying online has worn off, and it’s no longer about online vs. off--the independent jeweler battling Blue Nile, or the local bookstore taking on Amazon. It’s about allowing the customer to shop when and where they want. Amazon and Blue Nile know this, and that’s why they are making a push to have a physical presence. They can’t compete on price alone. They must be able to personally connect with consumers.
If customers want to come into a store to touch and feel a product then go home and, after thinking about it, buy it online at midnight from their iPad while watching Netflix in their pajamas, then retailers have to give them the ability to do that. Customers have come to expect this kind of flexibility. If one store doesn’t provide it, then the competitor down the street will.
If customers choose to shop online but then don’t like what they order, they expect to be able to return it in the store. They might not have the time or the inclination to repackage the product and send it back through the mail. They also might decide, as I have many times, that they’d rather see the merchandise in person before purchasing. That is all the better for retailers today, who are looking for ways to get people into their stores.
That’s what ominchannel is all about, and it’s everything right now in retail. That’s why it’s one of my words of the year.
As time wore on, however, the playing field began to level out a bit. Jewelers learned how to better compete with their online nemeses, and consumers began to find more of a balance, embracing both the convenience of the Internet while at the same time gravitating toward retailers who share their values. (To this end, I think the impersonal nature of the Internet has been, in some ways, a boon for small, locally owned businesses. But that is a topic for part II of this blog when I discuss another one of my Word of the Year picks, local.)
The novelty of buying online has worn off, and it’s no longer about online vs. off--the independent jeweler battling Blue Nile, or the local bookstore taking on Amazon. It’s about allowing the customer to shop when and where they want. Amazon and Blue Nile know this, and that’s why they are making a push to have a physical presence. They can’t compete on price alone. They must be able to personally connect with consumers.
If customers want to come into a store to touch and feel a product then go home and, after thinking about it, buy it online at midnight from their iPad while watching Netflix in their pajamas, then retailers have to give them the ability to do that. Customers have come to expect this kind of flexibility. If one store doesn’t provide it, then the competitor down the street will.
If customers choose to shop online but then don’t like what they order, they expect to be able to return it in the store. They might not have the time or the inclination to repackage the product and send it back through the mail. They also might decide, as I have many times, that they’d rather see the merchandise in person before purchasing. That is all the better for retailers today, who are looking for ways to get people into their stores.
That’s what ominchannel is all about, and it’s everything right now in retail. That’s why it’s one of my words of the year.
More on Editors
The Latest
SourcingJun 05, 2025
A Rare Suite of Rubies Has Arrived in Las VegasThe “Royal Ruby” Collection is a quintet of untreated rubies curated by collector Jack Abraham.
Events & AwardsJun 05, 2025
Daymond John to Give Keynote at JCK Las VegasThe entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.
Brought to you by
The True Power Behind the Counter: Why Sales Associates Are the Heart of the Jewelry BusinessWhen investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.
MajorsJun 05, 2025
Platinum Guild International Updates Leadership TeamTwo existing executives have been given new roles.
Weekly QuizJun 05, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsJun 05, 2025
Zillion Announces 'Women in STEM' Scholarship RecipientMeredith Tiderington, an electrical engineering student, was selected for the award.
Lab-GrownJun 04, 2025
GIA Reverting to More General Terminology for Lab-Grown DiamondsIt will quit assigning the stones specific color and clarity grades in favor of applying “new descriptive terminology.”
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.
Events & AwardsJun 04, 2025
As JCK Talks Returns, Don’t Miss These 12 SessionsFrom design trends to sustainability, here’s a roundup of can’t-miss education sessions at JCK Las Vegas.
CrimeJun 04, 2025
10 Safety Tips for the Las Vegas Shows The Jewelers’ Security Alliance offers advice for those attending the annual trade shows.
MajorsJun 04, 2025
Amy Curran Promoted at Hill & Co.Her new role is director of strategic initiatives.
CollectionsJun 03, 2025
In Her Latest Collection, Viviana Langhoff Is Leaning Into GoldThe designer is embracing bold pieces with weight to them in “AU79,” a collection she celebrated with a creative launch party.
FinancialsJun 03, 2025
Signet Jewelers Sees Turnaround in Q1 With Sales Ticking Up 2%On an earnings call, CEO J.K. Symancyk discussed what’s working for the company and how it’s preparing for the potential impact of tariffs.
SurveysJun 03, 2025
Consumer Confidence Improves in May The index partially rebounded after months of decline, due in part to the U.S.-China deal to temporarily reduce import tariffs.
CollectionsJun 03, 2025
Dakota Johnson Is Roberto Coin’s New Brand AmbassadorThe actress stars in the latest campaign set in Venice, Italy, and is set to participate in other creative initiatives for the jeweler.
GradingJun 03, 2025
Mason-Kay Jade Adds ‘Fei Cui’ to Jade ReportsThe company has joined other labs, including GIA and Lotus Gemology, in adopting the Chinese term for "jadeite jade."
SourcingJun 02, 2025
Gemfields’ June Auction to Include 36-Carat RubyThe large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.
GradingJun 02, 2025
GSI Opens New Lab in Thailand Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.
TrendsJun 02, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Three Gems for June Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.
SourcingJun 02, 2025
David Allouche Joins Grandview Klein DiamondsThe diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.
FinancialsMay 30, 2025
Movado’s Q1 Sales Slip Amid ‘Challenging’ Retail Environment The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Tariffs & Designers: Navigating Pricing in an Unstable EnvironmentBetween tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.
CollectionsMay 30, 2025
Piece of the Week: Renato Cipullo’s ‘Hematite Blaze’ NecklaceDesigned by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Trade Court Declares Trump’s Tariffs InvalidHowever, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.
CollectionsMay 29, 2025
Britney Spears Files Trademark for New Jewelry LineThe pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.
Supplier BulletinMay 29, 2025
Inoveo Platinum Grain, Exclusively Distributed by StullerSponsored by Stuller
SourcingMay 29, 2025
Grizzly Auctions 6,620-Carat EmeraldIt was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.
