"Be a Winner”
Despite the Recession-Part III

Part III: Marketing’s Role Optimizing Business Performance

Revitalize In-Store Marketing
It’s always surprising how much jewelry stores look alike.  From their overall appearance to the amount of product in the show cases, they look like they are targeting exactly the same customer.  But realistically that’s wishful thinking.  Each store has a core competency that consumers identify with that should be evident in the breadth and depth of product offered. 

While retailers need to reduce inventories, they can’t afford to do so at the expense of losing their status as specialists in the jewelry business.  Empty showcases and broken assortments don’t convey either trust or professionalism to consumers.  So, while reducing excess inventory, jewelers need to strengthen visual merchandising to establish product superiority and specialization.  For instance, rethink your stores layout and product adjacencies.  Display product to emphasize category dominance.  Use item merchandising techniques to focus attention and communicate uniqueness and value.  If that means investing new displays, do so...