JNA Awards 2020 - Jewellery Industry Best Practices

JNA AWARDS • 2020 91 adjusts, assembles and disassembles each virtual ring’s various parts – from the crown to the band, all the way down to the size of the gemstone, and more. The app, which gives customers more than 100,000 ring design options, holds a high satisfaction rating among users, 95 percent of whom said they would consider using it for sourcing their wedding bands. “Aside from being a useful tool for designing jewellery, the Zbird Wedding Ring Master doubles as a suitable venue for community interaction. Here, consumers can share their designs and, at the same time, draw inspiration from the works of others,” says Xu Lei. It also serves as the company’s looking glass into prevailing trends and popular aesthetics. Such knowledge helps it zero in on a leaner yet smarter inventory that gives room for flexible customisation. Modern solutions In China, more than 95 percent of diamonds are bought for weddings. This did not bode well for the trade since most couples had to postpone their nuptials to 2021 with the arrival of the pandemic. “COVID-19 caught the entire industry by surprise. However, any crisis inevitably contains new market opportunities. When everyone stayed home due to the virus, a new wave of online consumption began,” divulges Xu Lei. In response, the company worked double time in developing its digital assets. Along with the customisation app, it established various channels on WeChat and similar platforms for e-commerce, live streaming and customer engagement to name a few. Zbird’s digital assets were synchronised with major diamond cutters – giving its users access to a selection of up to 200,000 diamonds at any given time. This massive cloud inventory is updated every 30 minutes and provides pertinent information, such as GIA reports on available stones. These breakthroughs are linked to actual manufacturing sites to boost overall operational efficiency. For one, the Zbird mobile phone app is capable of giving the factory the green light for producing a certain piece of jewellery once an order has been placed. Along with its numerous innovations, this Retailer of the Year Honouree sets aside considerable resources for corporate social responsibility. Together with Alibaba Public Welfare, Zbird created the Waiting for Love charity event, which aims to protect migratory birds and the environment. The company’s co-founder, Xu Xiao, likewise served as the goodwill ambassador for the MusicRadio: I Want To Go To School charity event. In 2018, Zbird joined the China Social Welfare Foundation to carry out the “heart desk” plan for children in Jiangkou, Hunan. 1, 3. Shanghai flagship experience store 2, 5. Adore series wedding ring 4. Xu Lei, Founder and CEO of Zbird 6. Aurora series wedding ring 3 4 5 6