Founded in 1949 as King Fook Goldsmiths, King Fook Jewellery has since reached several milestones that helped cement its reputation in Hong Kong’s jewellery sector. Banking on its renowned pedigree and innovative spirit, the company is setting its sights on expansion opportunities and product diversification to reach new highpoints. Paulette Sum, CEO of King Fook Holdings Ltd, sits down with JNA to talk about the jeweller’s dazzling future.

JNA: How did King Fook establish its legacy in Hong Kong?

Paulette Sum: Since its inception, the company has been guided by the highest level of integrity, diligence and professionalism. King Fook earned a reputation for retailing the purest gold in the market, making us one of Hong Kong’s most trusted jewellers. In 1971, King Fook further expanded its business into luxury jewellery and watches, and officially became the King Fook Jewellery Group. The company entered a new era in 1988 when it was publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as King Fook Holdings Ltd. King Fook continued to diversify and in 1999, it made history by creating the masterpiece by king fook brand – the first and probably the only exclusive premium boutique offering international multi-label jewellery brands in Hong Kong.

JNA: Please explain to us the nature of the business.

Sum: King Fook and masterpiece by king fook focus on the retailing of gold, luxury jewellery and watches, and engage third-party suppliers to produce in-house jewellery designs. Suppliers must go through a rigorous selection process and quality control to ensure that they meet our highest standards of workmanship and ethics. At the same time, the exclusive international jewellery brands that we represent have their own manufacturing facilities. The company runs a total of nine stores in Hong Kong – two King Fook Jewellery shops and seven masterpiece by king fook boutiques. Masterpiece by king fook is a separate boutique brand.

JNA: What are some of your achievements that have had a strong impact on the jewellery industry?

Sum: We were the first in Hong Kong to offer an international multi-label jewellery boutique concept that remains unmatched at present. We have since brought the best of European jewellery design and craftsmanship to Hong Kong shores to meet consumers’ more sophisticated needs. We have introduced four overseas jewellery brands – Palmiero, Mattia Cielo, Annamaria Cammilli and Stenzhorn – to the local market. These brands are all family businesses, chosen for their exclusivity and unique craftsmanship. We have also been awarded the Listed Company Award of Excellence for three consecutive years. This is meaningful since Hong Kong faced major challenges such as political uprisings and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The awards affirmed our hard work, especially that of the frontline staff who have demonstrated unparalleled professionalism and dedication.

JNA: How did Covid change the jewellery business?

Sum: The pandemic has significantly affected store traffic and consumer behaviour. To counteract such an impact, we strengthened our customer relationship management or CRM system and leveraged on technology to provide our clients with more thoughtful and efficient services. The use of big data analysis also allowed us to target better product offers. In addition, we revamped our eShop and transformed it into a more powerful engine to offer a greater variety of products and services.

JNA: What can we expect from King Fook in 2022 in terms of new initiatives, product launches and innovative business strategies?

Sum: We have been working on different areas of the business to spur growth. Firstly, we have expanded our retail network to Kowloon and New Territories to attract potential customers. Our Harbour City jewellery store opened in November 2019 followed by a shop in New Town Plaza in February 2021. Going forward, we will continue to grow our jewellery business by launching unique jewellery products, including new collections featuring D-colour IF diamonds within the year. Building a solid client base is always a major objective, therefore internal trainings will focus on lifting our services’ standard and strengthening our sales teams’ ability to build stronger relationships with customers. To retain our loyal clientele and attract prospective ones, we will continue to create attractive CRM programmes and explore opportunities on digital platforms.

JNA: Could you share with us your outlook in 2022 and beyond? What kind of challenges and growth drivers do you foresee?

Sum: The first quarter of 2022 will still have been impacted by the pandemic. With the infection rate subsiding, we hope to find more avenues to continue to advance our jewellery business. We will continue to look for expansion opportunities for our retail network and explore all possible digital platforms to bolster our online sales.