Economy: Recession Shakes Up Jewelry Industry & A New Approach Has Emerged
During these challenging times, an old approach is coming to a new market. With consumers more cash strapped than ever and jewelry sales at record lows, factories and pearl farms are making a bold move to undercut lagging retail sales by connecting directly to small businesses owners through the magic of the internet, as manifested with the opening of a new wholesale-only website: www.ChinaDirectPearls.com
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) September 3, 2008 -- Some of us notice it more than others. Wages are stagnating, inflation is skyrocketing, and we're in the midst of a credit crunch and a housing crisis. When being faced with so many economic problems, the first thing that most people let go is entertainment and other luxuries. Nobody gets hurt more by these spending changes in the world of jewelry.
A Diamond may not be forever anymore, as the major players buckle down and focus hard on brand strengthening, many smaller stores close, and in their place, new businesses arise. People are trying to squeeze every last dollar of money out, new businesses have sprung up around jewelry resale; to the point that there's even been an ever increasing number of people selling back gold fillings to be melted down because they need cash. Still others turn to the internet to cut out the costs that plague brick and mortar stores.
These changes are most evident in the world of freshwater pearls and pearl jewelry. Once upon a time, cultured real pearls were only found in pricey jewelry stores; But now pearl farms and the factories that make jewelry, are increasingly going online to sell directly to consumers
This new approach is epitomized by C.D. Plus incorporated. While they're not the first company to sell pearls or pearl jewelry on line, they are one of the first American companies able to claim ownership of the very pearl farms and sterling silver factory to manufacture their jewelry products on demand. This is being manifested with the opening of yet another new website in their portfolio, www.ChinaDirectPearls.com, one of the first websites by an American company to offer a full scale jewelry manufacturer direct e-commerce experience.
Since the site is mainly targeted to businesses and corporations that want to order large quantities, either for resell or as their promotional or corporate gifts, the site is closed to public. Even after your registration as a business owner, you will still need to meet the minimum order size of $1,000 in order to check out. However if you compare it with the traveling cost to a jewelry show or a convention to get your pearls, it is a bargain, and also available 24/7 on demand, everything can be custom ordered right on the site and then be manufactured according to your specification and be shipped out within 5-10 days.
This approach is totally different from the traditional long lagging period between manufacturer and retailer. "People just can't keep doing business the old ways anymore." Said Lan Toma, Spoke person of the company. "Large jewelry chains may be able to survive off of their brand that they spent billions of dollars and many years worth of marketing developing, but everyone other than the major players is struggling to keep up during this recession."
As China emerges as a world leader in pearl exports, some Chinese e-merchants have used loopholes and technicalities in Chinese Law that result in most return packages being confiscated or refused, thus to sell sub-par merchandise and to be shielded from refunds and reprisals by lax laws governing relationships with foreign consumers or businesses.
Taking stock of the situation, newcomers to the market like C.D. Plus, Inc. have moved to fill the gap of cost, quality and trust between Chinese e-merchants and expensive American jewelry stores by taking ownership of their sources and selling jewelry directly to businesses or consumers over the internet with wholesale jewelry website like ChinaDirectPearls.
"It used to be you'd have to take expensive trips to jewelry shows or spend months breaking a deal in back rooms and boardrooms to get these kinds of prices. That kept the little guys out. Now every outfit, large and small, can get their stock just as easily and reliably as a consumer buying books or CDs on Amazon.com," Ms. Toma had to say on the subject.
Eventually this recession, like all others, will end; but the changes it has caused in the world of jewelry seem here to stay.
About C. D. Plus, Inc.:
C.D. Plus Inc. is one of the first American companies to claim ownershipof its own pearl farm and jewelry factory. Originally operating at jewelry shows, it went online for the first time in 2002 to sell freshwater pearls and pearl jewelry directly to small businesses and consumers. Its headquarter is in San Diego and its goal is to bridge the gap between consumers, small businesses, and pearl farms. With their in-house manufacturing unit, the organization was able to make jewelry according to customers specifications at low wholesale cost. For more information, log on to www.OrientalPearls.net or call Lan Toma, spokeswoman, at (619) 405-8044.
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