35 RETAILER INTERVIEW depending on item lead times, a limited number of product listings per jeweller, and the built in ability to sell on a made to order basis are now key ways of working. I was able to leverage the relationships I created with these first jewellers to get them to connect me with more jewellers, which is what has led to the amazing curation I now have. What is your customer base? Pearls & Pomegranates’s target audience is professional women who prioritise sustainable purchases, quality, and ‘shopping small’. Since launching, my main customers have been men shopping for gifts for their loved ones. What’s your USP? My USP is a curated experience for customers and jewellers that focuses on sustainability, ethics, quality, and independent design. A main feedback point from jewellers has been that they love how curated the product offering is–there’s a real focus on not having similar designs from different jewellers and ensuring that prices complement each other. Of course, the fact that everything is handcrafted by local craftsmanship is also a key USP from a customer perspective. What are your current best selling lines? Everyone loves pearls–pearl pendants have been a recent bestseller. Our jewellers source pearls from small artisan pearl farmers or scour the internet for top quality second hand pearls that can be reused in their designs. I’ve also found that gold earrings do well all year round. They’re super giftable as customers don’t need to worry about getting sizes wrong and gold has been trending for a while now. What brands do you stock and why? I exclusively stock small business jewellers who design and make themselves or have a small team behind them. This includes brands such as EDXU, Ara the altar, and April March. All my jewellers have a strong ethics and sustainability focus and fulfil at least one ‘Mission Pillar’. Every product must be handcrafted, vegan, wrapped in sustainable packaging, made from recycled materials, made from fair
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