Attire Accessories - Feb/Mar 2019 (Issue 74)

PROFILE 95 CAVENDISH FRENCH T: +44 (0)1372 459 944 W: cavendishfrench.com @cavendishfrench Which trade shows do you attend and why? Jewellery & Watch, Harrogate and IJL all work well for us. Trade shows give us the chance to showcase all our jewellery to our existing customers and to get feedback from them on what is working or how we could improve things. It is also a chance to attract new audiences and customers and to network with other business owners. IJL, in particular, is a great show for us to specifically meet jewellers who may not have seen the breadth of our brand before. What are your current best-selling designs? Our Starlight collection is hugely popular – the micro-set pave CZ and silver jewellery is indistinguishable from fine diamond jewellery but comes without the price tag or the worry. It’s perfect to wear every day or take on holiday – everyone loves this collection. When was the website launched, and how does it support the business? Our website was launched about 10 years ago when it became clear that it was an important part of the marketing mix. We have a wholesale website, which is fantastic for our wholesale customers because it allows them to see all our products and order quickly and easily. All products online are in stock, and we can react quickly to add new jewellery lines and remove items if they go out of stock – it’s much easier to keep updated than catalogues, which are out of date almost as soon as they are printed. As part of this marketing mix, we also have a retail website on which we promote all our stockists. It also helps us to reach the end customers with our brand. We support our website and brand through social marketing, PR activity and online/press advertising. Social marketing is becoming more and more important in building awareness of our jewellery. What have been the key milestones in the business? Evolving the range from European-manufactured vintage jewellery to workshops located worldwide, which make a varied range of jewellery, was a big milestone, as was the launch of the website. How do you view the current market, and what trends – both in product and in business – do you see emerging over the coming months? Designs in general seem to be becoming neater with a growing demand for CZ jewellery. Having said that, our new copper and silver lines are becoming increasingly popular, as are bangles and bees! Do you have any thoughts on how Brexit will affect your business? Whatever happens with Brexit, the outcome is totally out of our control. However, we can still put ourselves in the best place by continuing to offer great designs at affordable prices. People may think twice about buying diamond jewellery but can still treat themselves and others with our jewellery without feeling guilty. We import mainly outside of Europe so will be unaffected by any changes to import tariffs. What are your future plans for the business? To continue to grow the business by developing unique product ranges with designs that reflect the ever-changing world of fashion. With the huge growth in internet shopping, we are supporting our bricks-and-mortar retailers with fresh, impactful POS to promote awareness of Cavendish French. These help to drive their sales by taking advantage of all the new opportunities that social media and PR present. However, we will also continue with traditional press advertising as well – people always love to flick through a magazine for ideas and inspiration.