{"id":227076,"date":"2021-04-14T23:53:33","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T20:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/buying-diamonds-whatsapp-can-be-your-best-friend\/"},"modified":"2021-04-14T23:53:33","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T20:53:33","slug":"buying-diamonds-whatsapp-can-be-your-best-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-diamonds-whatsapp-can-be-your-best-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"#Buying diamonds? WhatsApp can be your best friend"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a373b9f2283c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a373b9f2283c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-diamonds-whatsapp-can-be-your-best-friend\/#KEEPING_IN_TOUCH\" >KEEPING IN TOUCH<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-diamonds-whatsapp-can-be-your-best-friend\/#RELATIONSHIPS\" >RELATIONSHIPS<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Buying diamonds? <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WhatsApp<\/a> can be your best friend<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>MILAN  \u2013 As Italy entered a new coronavirus lockdown and shut shops in March, Genoa-based jeweler Gismondi 1754 turned to messaging service WhatsApp to sell a 300,000 euro diamond ring to a wealthy Swiss client.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, sales assistants at luxury puffer jacket brand Moncler were arranging gourmet dinner deliveries to customers homes so they could dine in style while watching a video streaming of the brand\u2019s latest collection.<\/p>\n<p>The pandemic has forced luxury goods companies to use social media, video and virtual showrooms to woo their wealthy customers in Europe and keep them shopping at a time when tourists, especially from China, have been absent for more than a year.<\/p>\n<p>Retailers reopened in Britain and most of Italy on Monday, but they remain shut in France and access is restricted in Germany, where in Berlin, for example, a negative COVID test is required to go into most shops.<\/p>\n<p>Senior executives in the industry said this trend of selling outside the traditional store network, while not replacing the need for physical shops, is here to stay.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are learning that we can also have a high level of service with a low level of physical contact,\u201d Moncler\u2019s boss Remo Ruffini told Reuters. \u201cDistant sales are a new frontier, something in the middle between e-commerce and a traditional store.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Analysts say that lockdowns and \u201cstaycationing\u201d mean that wealthy Europeans have money to spend that they are not splurging on fancy hotels or Michelin starred restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>Designer brands are keen to capture some of that cash.<\/p>\n<p>High-end labels such as Hermes, which used to be more reticent to sell online, have had to fully embrace e-commerce. Online revenues for the industry have doubled to nearly 20% of sales in the past year alone, based on analyst estimates. Boston Consulting Group expects that percentage to rise to 25% by 2023.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"KEEPING_IN_TOUCH\"><\/span>KEEPING IN TOUCH<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Luxury labels have also invested in transforming store assistants into personal shoppers who pamper their VICs \u2013 very important clients \u2013 by sending them products at home and keep in touch regularly. Most brands now stream products on social media and show customers specific product videos.<\/p>\n<p>Before the pandemic, Gismondi would not have sold a 300,000 euros, 10-carat diamond ring without showing it to the client in person. \u201cI was on the phone chatting with the lady who is buying it, and it came up that this was the dream of a lifetime for her,\u201d Massimo Gismondi, chief executive of the jewellery group, said.<\/p>\n<p>From that moment, an exchange started with the lady via WhatsApp and video-calls to find the perfect design for the ring that will be delivered to her home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are craving for leisure, for returning to savour life and spending,\u201d Gismondi told Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>French luxury group LVMH\u2019s star label Louis Vuitton in addition to online sales has started taking its shops to wealthy clients\u2019 doorsteps in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cLV by Appointment\u201d campaign essentially brings a tailor-made shop on wheels to the customer, curated with a personalised selection of pieces \u2013 from leather goods to watches and perfumes \u2013 for those who opt for the service.<\/p>\n<p>LVMH, the first to report results for the first quarter, set a very bullish tone for the industry. Revenues bounced back strongly, with its fashion and leather goods division surging 52% \u2013 double analysts\u2019 forecasts. Sales in Europe remained in negative territory, but the 9% decline was a major improvement from the minus 24% seen in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<p>Luxury brands have had a strong recovery in China since shops began to reopen there last spring. But in Europe and the United States finding new ways to connect with customers has helped them to mitigate last year\u2019s sales declines.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts say that improving sales in those two regions should also help revenues this year. Sales in Europe and the United States accounted for 60% of the total in 2019, and should come in at just under 50% by 2025, consultancy Bain said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"People queue outside a Gucci store on via Condotti in Rome, Italy December 19, 2020. \" class=\"wp-image-17966286 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/fashion-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/fashion-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/fashion-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/fashion-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/fashion-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>People line up outside a Gucci store on via Condotti in Rome, Italy December 19, 2020. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Reuters<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"RELATIONSHIPS\"><\/span>RELATIONSHIPS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of Gucci owner Kering, said in February that the group\u2019s revenues from \u201cdistant sales\u201d \u2013 or sales outside its global store network \u2013 had risen sharply last year. The group had trained 400 sales assistants in 16 countries for this purpose, he said.<\/p>\n<p>One source at an Italian luxury fashion label said typically a brand\u2019s marketing department will provide a list of clients to contact, based on what they have bought over the previous year.<\/p>\n<p>The sales assistants then phone customers, show them the latest arrivals via video chat and send them clothes or shoes to try on.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou create a strong relationship between the sales people and the customer,\u201d Prada\u2019s CEO Patrizio Bertelli told Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have gone from the shop assistant that simply shows you a product to someone who also does a bit of marketing, knows customers, their taste and their habits, reaches out to them and sends them stuff home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A Milan-based PR executive who spends on average 40,000 euros ($47,552.00) a year in Prada\u2019s stores said that since last year Prada has regularly sent her videos about its clothes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there is something I like they send it home. They know my size and if in doubt they send more than one size. I buy what I like and I send back the rest,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past year, cashmere sweater label Brunello Cucinelli has been organising video calls with 30-40 customers at once to keep them engaged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt allows us to have a dialogue with a number of people which, if we had to arrange a physical appointment, would take us perhaps 3-4 years,\u201d the brand\u2019s co-CEO, Luca Lisandroni, told Reuters. He also said that brands should not become too insistent in trying to sell their wares.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people like being contacted and stimulated, others don\u2019t want to be solicited too much,\u201d he said.\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/04\/14\/buying-diamonds-whatsapp-can-be-your-best-friend\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Buying diamonds? WhatsApp can be your best friend&#8221; MILAN \u2013 As Italy entered a new coronavirus lockdown and shut shops in March, Genoa-based jeweler Gismondi 1754 turned to messaging service WhatsApp to sell a 300,000 euro diamond ring to a wealthy Swiss client. At the same time, sales assistants at luxury puffer jacket brand Moncler&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":227077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/fashion-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[101991,1545,70713,5015,72047],"class_list":["post-227076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-4-14-21","tag-coronavirus","tag-diamonds","tag-retailers","tag-whatsapp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227076\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}