Online sales of diamonds are gradually taking shape.
According to domestic media reports, China is now the world's largest diamond consumption market, second only to the United States. In 2005, Chinese mainland's diamond market share has exceeded 654.38 billion yuan, and it is growing at a rate of not less than 20% every year. As a luxury, diamonds have an absolute price advantage after saving the traditional high store fees, which is the biggest feature of buying diamonds and other jewelry products online and the most powerful magic weapon to attract consumers. Some experts predict that online jewelry sales in China will enter a blowout period in 2007.
Retailers in the online jewelry market can be said to have caught up with the golden age of the market. IDC, a world-renowned market research institution, firmly believes that the online jewelry market will not only grow faster than the consumer e-commerce market, but also grow faster than the American Internet application market, which will be fully reflected in the online jewelry market in China in 2007. At present, in addition to comprehensive e-commerce websites such as Taobao, Paipai.com and Yi Bei, professional online jewelry sales websites such as Jiuzuan.com in Shanghai and Babai.com in Beijing all indicated that they would learn from the foreign BlueNile model to build the first fashion jewelry mall in China. "Nine drill. Com "ingeniously launched" personalized customization "service to satisfy the appetite of discerning fashionistas, and took the opportunity to launch a special area specifically for the college students' market to cut into the growing college students' fashion consumption market at ultra-low prices.
The cost advantage goes beyond the traditional format.
Chen Bin, CEO of Jiuzuan.com, the first diamond sales network in China, is busy selling diamonds online every day. The reason why he dared to retail expensive diamonds online was completely influenced by the American online jewelry website BlueNile. Under the pressure of Bulgari, Cartier and Tiffany, this emerging online jewelry retailer in the United States has sprung up, and successfully listed on Nasdaq in May 2004, becoming a famous growing small and medium-sized enterprise in the United States for three consecutive years. Because there is no expensive store cost, its price is more than 30% cheaper than that of traditional jewelry stores. A few years later, its sales exceeded that of Tiffany, the largest jewelry retailer in the United States with a history of 170 years.
According to reports, the biggest difference between buying diamonds online and traditional shops is that the diamond ring of Jiuzuan Net is sold separately from bare diamonds and ring holders, which greatly reduces the cost of pressing the goods of Jiuzuan and gives consumers a completely different shopping experience. Chen Bin said that the biggest advantage of this professional retail network is its low cost. The diamonds sold in Jiuzuan.com mainly come from De Beers, the world's largest supplier of rough diamonds, and each diamond has an international professional jewelry quality appraisal certificate. At the same time, he said: "In the late 1990s, the first batch of young people who were familiar with online shopping have now reached the age of getting married and starting a family. They have purchasing needs and online shopping habits. Nine diamonds. Com has only been established for two years, but its sales are increasing at a double-digit rate every month. This in itself shows that this model has been more and more recognized. At present, the biggest competitor of the website is the traditional store, which is the competition of two sales models. "
Of course, Jiuzuan.com is slightly different from the Blue Nile. Jiuzuan.com opened two physical stores in Beijing Jianwai SOHO office building and Shanghai Ganghui Plaza. "Some consumers are still used to seeing is believing." Chen Bin regards these shops as important display windows of the website.
People in the industry have two big questions.
The person in charge of a jewelry company that has been engaged in jewelry business in Beijing for more than 10 years said that the price reduction factor mentioned by Jiuzuan.com can win 20%-30% price reduction space at most, and the price reduction rate of 70% is somewhat incredible. "If you go through normal procedures, there is no money to earn except taxes. Unlike other jewels, diamonds are still monopolized by international companies such as De Beers. This person is worried that the credibility of international certificates sold online is not high. Nine diamonds. Com promises that all products will show the appraisal certificate of the authoritative department of the state and provide formal sales invoices; All products are returned unconditionally within 15 days after being sold; False one is punished by ten; Invite experts from the Association to identify the authenticity; All products have international certifications such as GIA/HRD.
"In addition to international certification, the certification report produced by the Quality Supervision Bureau is more convincing." The source said that diamond identification is very professional. Traditional shops sell diamonds under the strict supervision of the national quality supervision department and have quality inspection certificates recognized by the national quality inspection department. Some so-called international certificates are actually higher in moisture. Selling diamonds online is a new model, and there is no authoritative and effective supervision at present. Consumers need to be cautious.
In addition, among the four elements of diamond evaluation, only cutting is directly affected by human factors. It is understood that some merchants in Shanghai have introduced a low-priced diamond price of 999 yuan, but after investigation, most of the diamond cutting work belongs to industrial-grade cutting work, rather than traditional gem-grade. "Because the cuts are different, it may lead to a big difference in prices."