Effective communication in retail: Lily Arkwright

Being able to display effective communication in retail is key to growing customer loyalty and encouraging consumer engagement.

Luxury online jewellery retailer, Lily Arkwright, has done a fantastic job of not only offering first-class products, but conveying messaging to engage their customers and help them make the right decision. Their approach has seen Lily Awkwright create a consistent presence across all platforms, as well as utilising blogs and even technology that allows you to try jewellery on virtually.

Modern Retail had the pleasure of speaking with Lily Arkwright about effective communication in retail. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Specialising in lab grown ethical and sustainable jewellery, how important is it that you are able to convey this messaging to your customers?

Here at Lily Arkwright, we have a passion for alternative engagement rings such as lab diamonds, moissanite and our Chatham lab grown coloured gemstone collections. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to buy a sustainable yet ethically sourced engagement ring at an affordable price.

We ensure that all lab diamond, gemstone and moissanite rings purchased from Lily Arkwright can be worn with the peace of mind that no community, person or environment has been impacted during the process of producing your ring. We embrace the responsibility to ensure that your jewellery is sustainably and ethically sourced, by constantly reviewing our process in accordance with strict working practices.

We are also committed to giving back and are proud sponsors of Unicef. More recently Lily Arkwright pledged its support to Unicef on an annual basis, donating proceeds from each order during Black Friday in 2021.

2. What would be your top tips for retailers wanting to engage their customers?

Consistency across platforms is key here if you wish to create a user-friendly experience for your customers. We regularly send out informative email campaign newsletters which have an excellent response and engagement rate from potential and our existing customers.

Understanding the importance and significance that purchasing bridal jewellery has to our customers is another key factor and that’s why we only work with the very best quality precious gemstones, lab diamonds and materials.

3. When did you introduce virtual appointments and how useful have these been for your business?

We actually offered virtual appointments long before the Covid pandemic, of course the restrictions on movement really exacerbated this movement. Virtual appointments allow for our customers to experience a personalised 1-2-1 experience, where our team can talk through options whilst showing you through a range of different rings.

Buying an engagement ring online is a great way for you to access and research an incredibly large range of options, all from the comfort and convenience of your own home.

4. How important is it for retailers and brands to give value to customers and how have you done this?

We truly understand the importance of excellent customer service, especially when the purchase involves such a special item such as an engagement ring! All of our jewellery consultants are JET qualified ensuring you’ll receive utmost 1-2-1 undivided attention and service during your engagement ring journey. Lily Arkwright’s technology-first approach ensures you’ll always receive a fast and efficient service as recently highlighted by the US Chambers of Commerce.

Any queries that you may have, our dedicated customer care team are on hand to assist with any product queries or ring sizing services such as offering a free plastic ring size if you are unsure of your finger size. Rest assured, if for any reason your Lily Arkwright engagement ring doesn’t fit perfectly once received, we also offer a complimentary free ring size within the first 30 days of purchase. It’s important to us that your ring is perfect and is a comfortable fit!

We have also introduced a brand new try-on hand feature to our website which makes trying on rings easy and convenient. This feature allows you to try on hundreds of different ring settings, test out different diamond shapes and sizes and find the perfect style of ring that’s right for you, all from your phone.

5. I can see that you’ve created guides on your website to educate and engage your target market. What goes into this and what has the reception been like to them?

Here at Lily Arkwright we LOVE to talk about all things jewellery, that’s why our customer jewellery consultancy team are always on hand to discuss any questions. We also have an excellent FAQ’s page and blog that is very popular and had a great reception with our customers. Some of our popular blog posts include ‘How To Clean Moissanite’ and our ‘Guide To Lab Diamonds’. Our guides act as a brilliant tool for customers to really get a deep dive into different ethical gemstones and the considerations that are required before making that all important purchase.

6. Have there been any particular challenges that you’ve faced when looking to grow consumer engagement and how have you overcome these?

One of the most challenging moments we have faced was the difficulties of educating consumers of the positives of lab grown gemstones during the early days. Generally speaking, mined diamonds have almost always been synonymous with engagement rings but this shouldn’t always be the case, as there are so many ethical and affordable alternatives!

Thankfully, we have come full circle on this as today’s consumers are far more aware of the environmental/ethical benefits of lab grown gemstones and we are now on the cusp of a wave, as lab grown jewellery is becoming more mainstream by the day. And all for the right reasons, why wouldn’t you want to save the planet and save money when buying such a special item?

7. What’s next for Lily Arkwright and how can our readers stay up to date?

We have enjoyed several years of growth since starting in 2015 and we are really excited to continue building upon this during 2022. Recently, we elevated our bespoke capabilities, as customers seeking unique designs is something that is increasing in popularity and we are inclined to facilitate this. We have many more exciting plans for the years ahead but to answer this simply, we hope to build on our existing growth trajectory, continue investing into our team, all whilst executing our current roadmap.

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The importance of effective communication in retail: Lily Arkwright