LUX October 2017

LUX - September 2017 9 A Fascination with Silver Jewellery The company established by Thomas Sabo in 1984, is one of the globally-leading jewellery, watches and beauty companies, designing, selling and distributing lifestyle products for women and men. The company is present in 75 countries on all five continents and operates around 300 of its own shops, with a total of around 1,860 employees. Based in Lauf an der Pegnitz, Germany, the firm employs a staff of around 490 at its headquarters. THOMAS SABO also collaborates globally with approximately 2,800 trade partners, as well as leading airlines and cruise operators. Possessing a variety of different collections and lines, with the iconic ‘Sterling Silver’ Collection at its core, the firm reaches a broad variety of diverse consumers. The company is able to offer jewellery and watches for every occasion, for several age groups, both genders and in each price category. The one constant at THOMAS SABO is the high product and design quality, something customers can testify to. Regarding how the firm aims to always provide the best possible service to its guests, it employs techniques which ensure that both clients and customers will be eager to return. Especially the experience from the brand’s retail business is paying off. The company knows which locations are profitable and knows its customer structure as well as which item will be big internationally. In regards to its wholesale business, the company currently sets the path for the future. The business has to identify the correct partners, work on a special branded environment and train the sales staff so they are the best representatives of the brand. Ultimately, the aim is to offer products of outstanding quality but combine the shopping experience with outstanding service. For this purpose, the company’s internal training team has created the online based THOMAS SABO Academy: this online learning platform offers the international shop personnel optimum product and sales training, independent of location and time zone and is also available for the brand’s wholesale partners. As a company, THOMAS SABO is continuously developing the brand’s multi-channel distribution and feels well prepared for the next business year. It is about further specifications and portfolio adjustments for the company’s retail, e-commerce, trade partners and travel retail business to cater to each channel’s needs in terms of products and concepts. Importantly, a strong commitment of the brand has always been the dedication with which the creative team works on its designs, season after season. This has not changed and will not change in the future as it takes pride in craftsmanship and delicate creations. The creative head of the THOMAS SABO lifestyle world, alongside Thomas Sabo, is Susanne Kölbli who lends the brand authenticity and soul through her unmistakeable style. The two share a fine sensibility for trends and an interest in foreign cultures, fashion and style. Their unique style is marked by attention to detail and awareness of trends in addition to their sensitivity with respect to the materials used, which meet the highest requirements in terms of product quality and workmanship. What has changed the perception of the brand over the most recent years, is a dedication to diversifying the portfolio further. This includes the introduction of Flagship Stores around the world since 2014, where the team is able to display certain collections, such as the Fine Jewellery creations, selectively. Additionally, THOMAS SABO has introduced diamonds into its Sterling Silver and Charm Club Collections, which has underlined their appeal and opened up new opportunities for the firm to target. Since 2013, Thomas Sabo’s Glam & Soul collection also includes a wide range of rosé gold and yellow gold plated designs. However, 925 Sterling silver is still the main material and base that made THOMAS SABO one of the leading jewellery companies today. Concerning trends, THOMAS SABO sees some overall jewellery trends like the return of colours and larger statement pieces, as well as the trend to personalize jewellery e.g. through individual combinations or engravings. However, most people are combining jewellery to create their own style which enhances their personality, and they wear pieces for memories attached to it. Thus, the firm believes in leaving it up to its customers to shop what best suits their personality. THOMAS SABO is a lifestyle brand for fashion oriented women and men, and stands for high quality Sterling silver jewellery and exquisite watches that offer a refreshing alternative to the established luxury jewellery and watch brands. We profile the firm as we look to find out more about the LUX Jewellery Retailer of the Year. Customers’ expectations have also changed since THOMAS SABO’s inception, and the firm has to adapt and change in order to fulfil these requirements. Having been around for over 30 years, THOMAS SABO has been lucky enough to develop its product offering and portfolio, but also have had the chance to grow a loyal fan base of customers who have accompanied the firm since the start. Its core target group ranges from 24-49 years old, appreciates lovingly detailed creations and the innate value of jewellery, but is also prone to liking and styling trends. Nevertheless, a brand needs to stay alert in order to identify new target groups and recruit them, since likewise, in the fashion industry, today’s consumer is looking for regular news in jewellery stores. Additionally, ranging from presenting outstanding seasonal collections, the firm is looking into revamping certain well established collections by introducing new designs, potentially also only for certain markets or certain time periods. There are further product innovations on the agenda for the future, with continual growth and constant international expansion at the very heart of the company’s corporate objectives. Ultimately, a lot of the success at the company is down to the staff. “Our employees are enthusiastic, open, motivated and innovative – to only name a few things, and they tend to like accessories. Our employees enjoy a lot of freedom in their operational business, and I love to hear about initiatives and good ideas coming from our own ranks, and also from the markets to the headquarters,” says company founder Thomas Sabo. Looking ahead, the firm is aiming to grow its core business in Europe, and is planning to further grow its presence in China, Hong Kong and South Korea, in both the domestic markets, online as well as travel retail and have plans to enter Japan. With its growing brand awareness in Asia Pacific, the company has also announced to explore opportunities in other markets such as Thailand, Vietnam and India. “...most people are combining jewellery to create their own style which enhances their personality, and they wear pieces for memories attached to it.”