Why you
should shop at an Independent Shop
With all the big high street shops that offer discounts on everything
and always have sales on, why on earth would you bother to go out of your way
to visit an independent shop? On the face of it, the ease and choice of visiting a big store is
a no-brainer, right? Let’s take a closer look.
The Pros And Cons of Shopping Independently…..
Customer Service
Whilst some large stores will have great customer service, there are
many that do not look after their staff and then in turn those staff do not
look after you, the customer. The profits and livelihood of a big store
are not going to collapse because you, as an individual, have a bad customer
experience and take your money elsewhere. Also many Shop assistants do not have a specialist knowledge of what they are selling. At an independent you are far more likely to be served by an expert.
If we compare this to shopping at a small, local independently run
store, the member of staff who is serving you is very likely to be the owner
of the business. They will be very keen to build customer loyalty, so that
you will return to their shop in the future. Independent shops rely on word of
mouth and recommendations from their customers because they do not have the advertising budget of a national or international chain store. This means that the
customer service is often far superior and that the shop staff will be happy and
willing to go above and beyond for you, to ensure that you get exactly
what you want.
Shopping Experience
In an independent shop, like RING jewellers, you will never feel rushed & the shopping
experience is much more relaxed. It feels like the staff genuinely care – because they do! A good independent
shop will allow you to take your time browsing through the goods on offer,
providing suggestions if you want them, sharing options with you and not
expecting you to become just a faceless number in a queue.
Some independent jewellers, like RING jewellers in Brighton, are also able to offer you a bespoke service. You can go in with a design idea and work with the design team to create your
perfect jewellery piece. At RING jewellers we offer no obligation design
consultations free of charge and we like to make this process a fun experience. You could even design your dream piece of bespoke jewellery remotely (i.e. without visiting the shop in person). To see an example of designing an engagement ring this way click here.
Shopping at somewhere like the Lanes in Brighton is an experience in
itself. You can meander through them at your own pace, look in an
eclectic mix of small, independent shops and have freedom of choice wherever
you go. Added to this, there are lots of coffee shops and restaurants
easily available, so you can have a free jewellery design consultation, and
then get yourself a coffee or lunch while you make sure the design is just what
you want, before you make your final decision.
In fact, with an independent jeweller you can let your imagination run
wild! Here’s a great picture of one of our actual customers receiving his
bespoke Gallifreyan Doctor Who ring on his wedding day!
Value for money
Many people think that independent shops will cost you a small fortune,
this is often not the case, the prices can be very reasonable and for the
amount of care and attention that you will receive, the value is
excellent. An independent shop like RING jewellers will take time to discuss exactly what
you want and then provide you with some options of costs depending upon your
budget. A jewellery purchase is often a once in a lifetime item – would
you rather buy an ‘off-the-shelf’ piece that many other people have or
potentially invest in designing something unique? Although it can happen with an independent the large chain stores are the real masters of the ‘SALE NOW ON’ trick of elevating prices purely to slash them at sale time. So value for money doesn’t always come with a massive discount. For example “let’s sell this £900 piece of jewellery for £2000 & then have a 1/2 price sale”. You end up paying £1000 for an item worth £900. RING jewellers have a strict pricing structure based on the value of the precious metals, gemstone weights & grades. There is also no hefty bespoke fee as people may think. This means you always get value for money (even without the big uppercase red & white sale signs!).
Local community
Independent shops are much more likely to support local charities than
non-local national ones. You can help your local community by investing in it,
reducing your carbon footprint and ensuring the survival of your unique town
centre. This is especially true for a place like the Lanes in Brighton, they
are internationally known for being brilliant places to shop for unique
products.
So, if you’re looking for an especially designed piece of jewellery that you
can cherish forever, why not pay us a visit?
RING jewellers is based in The Lanes in Brighton at 21 Meeting House
Lane, Brighton, BN1 1 HB.