Reporter: CLAIRE ROGERS Source: The Dominion Post
Ian Douglas talks to reporter Claire Rogers from The Dominion Post and Stuff.co.nz about whyThe Village Goldsmith haven't ever sold Pandora Jewellery and the impact of Pandora pulling their product from 100 independent jewellers in New Zealand.
Jewellery company Pandora plans to launch five concept stores in New Zealand, including in Wellington, as it pulls its products out of 100 independent jewellers here and in Australia.
The Danish-listed company claims to be the third largest jewellery brand in the world behind Cartier and Tiffany, and is best known for its popular charm bracelet range.
Marketing head Jeff Burnes said concept stores would be opened in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch but it was yet to find the right locations.
Between 50 and 150 independent jewellers resold its products in New Zealand but concept stores were needed to showcase Pandora's brand "in the optimum environment".
The company had been working with jewellers in New Zealand since 2007 and encouraged them to create the "Pandora experience" in the way they presented and sold its products, but not all had come to the party, he said.
"It's really with those stores that we've decided to move on. We supply beautiful packaging and some stores don't even use it. They're really not doing the consumer justice."
Most of the 100-odd stores affected were in Australia.
Colin Lester, owner of Pacific Jewellers on Lambton Quay, said his store would lose Pandora products from April but he was not concerned.
"It's not a big part of our business. It has peaked – we did not see growth in it last year. They want every shop to have the same format, they want it to be all white and they want it to have Pandora on the name and the brand, and we won't conform with those things. We believe our brand is as good as theirs is."
Ian Douglas, owner of The Village Goldsmith, said the move would be a big blow for some smaller jewellers.
"For a vast amount of the smaller independent jewellers in the country, [Pandora's] been the lifeblood of them in the last few years and without it a lot of them are going to really hurt."
Pandora products were of a very high quality, but his store did not stock them. "It's a trend and it's a style that will have a tipping point."
Mr Burnes said Pandora had opened concept stores in Australia and that had generated sales in both the stores and in wholesalers and increased brand awareness.
Pandora could opt to partner with existing wholesalers in New Zealand.
They would own and run the concept stores, he said.
To read the full article visit Stuff.co.nz 'Concept store' key to charming jewellery buyers
