Messika's new Web site powered by TrueFacet. Image credit: Messika
As high-end jewelry brands become more fluent with ecommerce, online watches and jewelry marketplace TrueFacet is helping to power branded digital platforms.
Net-A-Porter and 24 Sèvres are a few of the many third-party platforms that heritage jewelry brands are using to finally capture digital growth after lagging behind in ecommerce adoption. TrueFacet is taking a different approach and is helping jewelry brands get a leg up in ecommerce with their own platforms.
"The launch of Messika.com demonstrates how TrueFacet can offer international luxury watch and jewelry brands turn-key, white label e-commerce solutions to easily and rapidly grow their business online in the U.S. market," said Tirath Kamdar, CEO and cofounder of TrueFacet. "As we are the established leader in U.S. watch and jewelry sales online, TrueFacet will do the heavy e-commerce lifting for brands on all fronts, from launching and optimizing their immersive and luxurious site to a total takeover of customer service, original content marketing, warehousing, and order fulfillment."
Powering digital innovation
TrueFacet is creating the back-end pieces of jewelry brand’s ecommerce initiatives in a way that eliminates some risk associated with starting up online for the first time.
Its new offering is premiering with Messika, a Parisian jewelry brand debuting its first mono-brand site as it looks to expand into the United States.
Messika jewelry creation. Image credit: Messika
Messika.com, powered by TrueFacet will launch as a way for the jewelry brand to take online sales into its own hands. But TrueFacet’s history in site management will help ensure the site will kick off with few hitches.
The jewelry brand’s Web site will feature high-touch concierge assistance and original storytelling content in an effort to capture younger generations. Brands following Messika’s lead will have the option of providing similar services, as well as access to TrueFacet’s turnkey sales processing, with financing and payment options, overnight shipping and order fulfillment through TrueFacet’s New York headquarters.
In addition to its back-end assistance, TrueFacet will provide Messika marketing placement on its own Web site, which it has reported garners 2 million monthly visitors.
Supermodel Gigi Hadid will be the face of the first leg of the campaign, which promotes Messika’s My Soul Collection.
Gigi Hadid works with Messika for a collaboration collection. Image credit: Messika
Along with the announcement, TrueFacet revealed 28 percent of its users on its own site are digital natives younger than 30, with an average customer age of 33 years old. The retailer claims that organic traffic makes up 41 percent of its page views, with social driving 20 percent.
Jewelry and ecommerce
Fine jewelry brands have been to known to stay away from digital retail, but this year have been creeping up on multi-branded sites.
LVMH spotlighted high-end jewelry on its multi-brand online platform 24 Sèvres, adding to the growing list of luxury players embracing selling fine pieces via ecommerce, including competing luxury group Richemont.
A report from Technavio last spring predicted that the online jewelry market would grow by 16.59 percent from then until 2021, while Research and Markets forecasts the digital jewelry sector will make up 10 percent of the market by 2020. LVMH's 24 Sèvres is steering into the skid with its fine jewelry launch including designers such as Dior, Céline, Chloé, Gucci and Loewe, many of whom are known for a lack of online presence, following Net-A-Porter’s similar launch (see story).
TrueFacet also recently ushered brand certification into the pre-owned ecommerce industry, working directly with heritage brands as houses seek more control in the secondhand market.
These certified pre-owned timepieces and jewelry act as their own category, with seven brands signed on to give their official stamp of approval. The sales of these products include the warranty from the original manufacturer (see story).
"Partnering with TrueFacet allows luxury brands to focus on what they do best: producing exceptional branded products without a huge personnel and resource investment in scaling their e-commerce business," Mr. Kamdar said. "From managing overnight shipments to providing TrueFacet’s white glove customer service, our luxury brand partners will benefit from TrueFacet’s entire digital toolkit and e-comm expertise and will gain exposure to TrueFacet’s audience of over 2 million monthly visitors and affluent young customer base.
"TrueFacet also is an expert in data analytics and reaching the next generation of digital consumers, and helps brands optimize their reach by using valuable data insights to help brands grow online," he said.