Financial Times: Jewellers and retailers flock to digital marketplaces

NouvelleBox of London, the first business-to-business marketplace platform tailored to jewellery, was built with both consignment and wholesale in mind. “The pandemic was the trigger for me,” says Darren Hildrow, previously jewellery director at agency Rainbowwave, who joined Valery Demure, an industry specialist, to launch the platform in February. NouvelleBox specialises in designer jewellery brands that straddle the worlds of fashion and jewellery, are mostly small scale and are known for setting jewellery trends.

“From the outside, people see diamonds and gold and think that fine jewellery brands have a lot of money,” Hildrow explains. “They don’t. It’s hard to run a small fine jewellery brand and make ends meet, so we keep the NouvelleBox subscription within reach of small designers.”

As jewellery does not work at the pace of the fashion industry, he says the role of the platform is to smooth the shift from paper to digital, by offering tools to create consignment documents and order forms all in one place. NouvelleBox works with a range of brands, from fine diamond-focused jewellers such as Mindi Mond of New York to Capucine H, a French avant-garde designer.

   
Alice Cicolini, one of 30 jewellery brands to have signed up so far, says that “instead of spending time on bits of paperwork”, the platform provides a relatively seamless way to do business with a group of retailers. She also hopes it will allow her to use face-to-face time to deepen retail relationships when she returns to trade shows such as Couture. The idea is that a brand displays a profile, information and collection photographs, and opts for one of three levels of visibility. They can then contact any of the 100-plus jewellery-focused retailers they don’t already work with, using a LinkedIn-style messaging system.

NouvelleBox says it is as much about “creating community” as facilitating commerce. There is a magazine area with articles by jewellery specialists and a services section that showcases vetted professionals who offer marketing, editorial, or video services. And there are plans to create a section for personal stylists who work with wealthy clients.

NouvelleBox has also joined with Ylang23, a Texas retailer, to support its Next Now award. As a result, Pari Fine Jewels, designed by Athens-born Pari Sofianou will be showcased on Nouvelle Box, free for a year.

So far, the platform seems to have won over retailers because of the sense of discovery that it offers. “While we use a variety of platforms, we generally do not rely on them for sourcing designer fine jewellery,” says Beth Kanfer, footwear, handbag, jewellery and soft accessory fashion director of store group Nordstrom. “However, the brand curation provided by NouvelleBox adds value as it provides access to a diverse selection of emerging brands with authenticity and limited distribution.”

Ruby Beales, jewellery buying manager at Liberty, is drawn to the site because it is so targeted. “I love that NouvelleBox is a bespoke platform, specifically for the jewellery business. It was founded by industry experts who know just what jewellery buyers and retailers are looking for, rather than the more one-size-fits-all approach of other platforms, which tend to work with a variety of brands across all categories.”

As the world opens up, many retailers and brands expect platforms to coexist and blend with physical events, such as Paris Fashion Week or Couture.