Luxury goods like watches and jewellery shine brighter on their own rather than basking in a star testimonial: Around three quarters of British are not affected when celebrities wear a certain brand of chronometer, necklace or ring. That is the result of Messe München’s 2018 Inhorgenta trend index, which surveyed a sample of 1,025 people in the United Kingdom.
“Great Britain is known for its cult of celebrity surrounding film and fashion stars or the Premier League,” said Stefanie Mändlein, exhibition director of Inhorgenta Munich. “As brand ambassadors for watches and jewellery, though, celebrities have a very limited influence, particularly on well-to-do customer groups.” Only one in four of 35 to 54-year-olds says a piece of jewellery should be worn by celebrities to appreciate it.
For customers over 55, the ‘celebrity bonus’ decreases to a mere 10 per cent. Younger customers are more affected by star glamour, with around 40 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds feeling inspired by the famous ambassadors.
Consumers Seek Expert Advice
By contrast, the large majority of British place great value on expert advice when buying watches and jewellery, for example in traditional jewellery shops (roughly 70%).
However, a visit to the jewellers should be even more interesting, according to nearly two-thirds of British customers. In order to remain in contact with customers, speciality stores should actively take advantage of the opportunities of the digital world (say 60 per cent of consumers). “The industry would do well to broaden customer relations in the future by using new digital channels,” said Mändlein.
A Future For Speciality Stores
Good news for the industry: The majority of British (56 per cent) do not expect jewellery stores to be supplanted by digital platforms. “Customers trust the advice of specialist traders and do not want to do without them in the future,” said Mändlein.
