Teen spirit: Tackling the teen jewellery niche

by charlene_voisin | December 1, 2013 9:00 am

By Jennifer Hopf

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Genevieve Kleefisch, like most 15-year-old girls, often looks to brand names and magazine pages for style inspiration.

However, these are not the only deciding factors when choosing the jewellery she wears. “To go for a more classic look, I sometimes search through old movies or photos,” says Kleefisch. “You don’t always have to do what the magazines say. Sometimes, it’s fashionable to wear what you’re comfortable in.”

For teenagers today, jewellery is all about fun and freedom. It’s a way to assert their individuality, while applying their creativity to develop their own sense of style.

“They’re trying to be unique and that’s awesome to see,” says Brittany Hopkins, owner of Anice Jewellery in Toronto. “Their voices are coming out through their accessories and through their fashion a little bit more than we might have seen in years past.”

Originality or imitation?

For young adults discovering their place in the world, originality speaks loudly to them. Take Kleefisch, who enjoys exploring what independent jewellers offer with their “beautiful styles that are one in a million.”

The same goes for vintage or antique jewellery. “It’s interesting to see younger kids still have an appreciation for one-of-a-kind,” says Hopkins. “They really like the idea of having their own thing.”

On the other hand, jewellery is also a way for teenagers to emulate their celebrity style icons—from ‘blinged-out’ rappers to more casual-chic stars.

“Every teen grows up wanting to be the icons they see on TV,” says Aren Arkarakas, Nouvo Mode’s managing director. “With that said, there is a specific demographic of teens who are expressing themselves more and more as the years go on. I do feel the percentage will grow, but I don’t think you can ever break the impact of Hollywood.”

While teens may look to their idols for initial inspiration, they ultimately strive to make the styles their own. Seeing a photo in a magazine or even someone walking down the street simply provides the starting point for their imaginations to flourish.

Hopkins feels teens are getting more fearless—they’re mixing and matching different textures, metals and colours, or making charm bracelets from old treasures.

“I’ve seen them make their own jewellery in their own way,” she says. “They’re wrapping their mom’s necklace around their wrist, versus just thinking it’s tacky or out of style.”

Yet, a seal of approval from a parent is more like the kiss of death when it comes to any teen’s style. When choosing lines geared toward this finicky demographic, it’s important for any retailer to realize the pieces you may find appealing will not necessarily lure teen buyers.

Catching a wandering eye

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So how do you market to an age group with a revolving door of tastes who are already on to the next big thing before you’ve even heard of it?

Sam Mamane, owner of Italgem Steel Group, feels packaging is very important. “The look of the display case, the way the ads are presented—they’re full of colours and they’re attractive to the eye,” he says, adding the company’s ad campaigns use good-looking models to further entice potential buyers.

Hopkins has a different approach. “With teens, instead of trying to figure them out all the time, I like to give them the option and ask, ‘What do you guys want? Do you want to be like Miley Cyrus right now?'”

Arkarakas believes it’s all about the online presence. “Digital marketing is the only way to get to teens nowadays. It’s the only form of marketing that pays off,” he says.

Determining their bottom line

Speaking of payoffs, how much revenue can you expect from a group who, for the most part, works only part-time, if at all. While it’s fair to say teens usually have disposable income, that may not necessarily amount to much.

“You have to create jewellery at a more affordable price point that teenagers can buy on their own, instead of going to their parents and asking,” says Mamane.

Most teens tend to look for accessories, not a long-term commitment in the form of an expensive feature piece, meaning they want to buy more and spend less.

“We’re all willing to invest in a beautiful necklace that we’re going to get a lot of wear out of and really appreciate, whereas teens want fun and they want lots [of options],” says Hopkins. “Your price point has to be a little bit lower for them, so they can mix and match.”

Mamane agrees. “They’ll see something at the store for $59; they’ll take out their debit cards and buy it right away, as opposed to if they see a brand name bracelet for $500 and they have to ask their parents to buy it for them as a gift.”

For the average jewellery line geared toward teens, an ideal price point is considered to be around $30, or even as low as $15 for multiple items like bracelets, depending on materials. Prices can go as high as $100 before becoming too steep for an average high schooler’s budget.

Are gifts the way to go?

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However, with parents involved, there tends to be more room in the budget.

“When parents are buying gifts, say for graduation, they’ll go to a higher price point,” says Mamane. “They want them to be kept as mementos, so they’ll spend that $400 to $500.”

While Apel Camgozlu of Mary Jewellery agrees that jewellery, especially gold, is a go-to gift as a keepsake for a momentous occasion, he believes that tradition applies more to children than to teenagers.

“It’s much cuter to buy a six-year-old girl a pair of earrings for her birthday than it is to buy them for a 16-year-old,” he says.

Then there are teens who are buying jewellery for each other—charms for their BFF, a chain for their sweetheart—and quite possibly spending more than when their mom takes them shopping.

“It does feel like they’re doing a lot more of their own shopping, which could go hand-in-hand with exercising their own creativity and their own individualism because they have the freedom to do so,” says Hopkins.

The question now is, what exactly are teens shopping for?

Mamane says name jewellery is always going to be relevant, even though it may have declined somewhat in popularity since the Carrie Bradshaw days of Sex and the City.

Hopkins says friendship bracelets are stronger than ever, perhaps just with a different spin on them—for instance, a group of girlfriends buying the same bangle, but in different colours.

Girls today are also into beads, lightweight charms, braided or cord bracelets, bright colours and stackable pieces. Even guys are wearing more jewellery: stainless or black steel lines, dog tags, leather or hemp bracelets, and pewter. Symbolic or spiritual jewellery are also timeless teenage draws.

Just remember, the younger generation moves on quickly, so catch them while you can.

Jennifer Hopf is a copywriting specialist and freelance writer based in Toronto. A journalism graduate from Durham College, she is now focused on feature writing for magazines, with a passion for the jewellery and luxury industry. She is also savvy in social media and digital content marketing, with a background in retail sales.

Source URL: https://www.jewellerybusiness.com/features/teen-spirit-tackling-the-teen-jewellery-niche/

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