Fine Jewelry Kay Jewelry

Freshfields Village Attracts New, Luxury Retailers

Johns Island, SC (PRWEB) June 04, 2011

Freshfields Village ( http://www.freshfieldsvillage.com/ ), the sea islands shopping and dining destination located at the crossroads of Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns Islands, will add three, new upscale retailers in the coming weeks. Apparel companies J. McLaughlin and Leggiadro will join Kiawah Fine Jewelry as the newest tenants, further securing Freshfields Village’s position as the premier high-end retail destination in greater Charleston.

J. McLaughlin and Leggiadro already have a presence and customer base in the area, having previously operated on King Street in downtown Charleston. J. McLaughlin is adding a second store, while Leggiadro will close its King Street location and relocate to Freshfields Village. Kiawah Fine Jewelry is an affiliate of Kay’s Fine Jewelry, which operated exclusively in Aruba, St. Maarten and St. Kitts until now.

“The decision to open a store at Freshfields Village was largely based on their clientele matching well with our brand and seeing an opportunity to reach both the resort guests and residents,” said Meg Perito, store manager of J. McLaughlin ( http://www.jmclaughlin.com ). “Freshfields Village is a vibrant shopping destination with a smart and savvy customer base, which is perfect for our brand.”

Details of the new tenants include:

J. McLaughlin, located at 177 Village Green Lane, is the second Charleston location in a network of 45 stores across the U.S. The classic American brand features bold colors and signature prints for men and women, with each store designed to reflect the local atmosphere.

Leggiadro is relocating from downtown and is slated to open at 393 Freshfields Drive in late May. The women’s boutique specializes in ultra-luxe sportswear that blends current fashion trends with classic style using artisanal fabrics. The company ( http://www.leggiadro.com ) operates stores in New York City, Naples, F.L. and Palm Desert, C.A.

Kiawah Fine Jewelry will open in late June at 560 Freshfields Drive. The store is an affiliate of Kay’s Fine Jewelry, which has locations in the Caribbean islands of Aruba, St. Maarten and St. Kitts. The jeweler will offer loose diamonds, precious gemstones and Swiss timepieces.

Fine jewelry industry shows surprising growth

Today’s jewelry shopper is less worried about the struggling economy and more likely to whip out that credit card, reported WWD . The return of women to the market particularly has translated into impressive gains in sales, with double-digit growth at both fine jewelry trade shows and retailers such as Tiffany & Co. (up 20 percent) and Kay Jewelers (up 10.2 percent).

“The upper end of the market has come back because it is increasingly OK to shop again,” Greg Kwiat, chief financial officer of Kwiat and CEO of Fred Leighton, said to WWD .

He predicts Kwiat’s sales from the Couture show at the Wynn resort “will be up at least 20 to 25 percent this year. Retailers anticipate the higher end of the market being there this holiday.”

Mimi So, creator of a high-end jewelry brand that exhibited at Couture, is also witnessing an increase in sales, expecting to see her brand double its U.S. store door count before the year’s end.

“We have seen familiar faces that have signed on with us this year,” So reported. “They were holding off waiting for the economy to perk up and we’re moving through their inventory, and they want to introduce new designs.”

As ever, companies are returning to advertising to draw in sales. Already having raked in $200 million of retail sales since its founding in 2009, Forevermark – a De Beers Group diamond brand – is launching an extensive print and online ad campaign to drive its introduction into the U.S. market, where it intends to open 300 stores.

“We will be the single biggest diamond advertiser in the marketplace,” Sally Morrison, chief marketing officer for Forevermark, remarked, while declining to share the exact financial details of the campaign.

The World Gold Council – the gold industry’s trade organization -- is also aggressively marketing its goods, commencing a “Gold Makes It Marriage” advertising effort designed to convince consumers of the importance of gold in celebrating marriages. Appearing in newspapers and magazines starting in July, the campaign will cost the organization more than $6 million.

However, the jewelry industry isn’t out of the woods yet. The price of gold and silver continues to soar, forcing jewelers to increase their prices for retailers at shows – such as the JCK show at Mandalay Bay and the Couture show -- by 10 to 20 percent to maintain profit margins. While many believe that the hikes won’t impact high-end consumers’ demand for extremely costly items, a number of jewelers are concerned that the middle- and lower classes’ spending on lower-priced goods will wane.

Chilton's jewelers' circular/keystone

The Jewelers' circular

Jewelers' circular-keystone, JCK.

Texas Monthly

Black Enterprise