The brand known for making tiaras for Empress Joséphine, the first wife of Napoleon, is now making hard luxury accessible for Chinese consumers. Just prior to the “520” holiday in China, also known as the new Chinese Valentine’s Day, the Parisian jeweler Chaumet launched its flagship store on WeChat, allowing people to shop for its rings, necklaces, and watches through a Mini Program.
Having launched two successful WeChat pop-up stores last year, the LVMH-owned brand has learned a thing or two, which it has incorporated into its digital flagship store experience. On last “Qixi,” China’s traditional Valentine’s Day, it solved a pain point for online ring shoppers by providing a smart size guide that allows measuring their finger sizes in 360 degrees, as Jing Daily reported. The smart size guide has now become a permanent fixture on the Mini-Program in addition to an infographic tutorial for customers to measure ring sizes by hand.
Jing Take#
If hard luxury is going digital, there’s no better way than launching your own digital store. Compared with launching on a third-party platform, having your own official store on WeChat keeps your brand imagine intact, your customers’ personal data secure, and also encourages direct consumer engagement. For example, a customer would need to add their phone number before any purchase through Chaumet's WeChat flagship store, which is then saved by the brand’s online and offline channels and makes it easier for them to book future in-store visits.
Moreover, to boost direct communication, Chaumet asks potential buyers to get in touch with the brand’s customer service team for any questions and price inquiries regarding any product, especially wedding rings sporting large diamonds. Working with a third-party platform, who isn’t as intimately knowledgeable about Chaumet’s 240-year-old history, diamond shape variations, and ring sizes, might diminish not only the luxury purchasing experience, but also be a much harder sale to close.
The Jing Take reports on a leading piece of news while presenting our editorial team’s analysis of its key implications for the luxury industry. In this recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debates that sprout up on Chinese social media.