A while ago, my silver jewelry buyer and I left New York on a sourcing junket, er, mission, to Bali, Indonesia. We were looking to add some unique Bali designs to our branded sterling silver line and check out Bali’s sophisticated jewelry manufacturing expertise. More on that later.
As you probably know, Bali is arguably the most beautiful spot on earth – considered the Australian Riviera. James Mitchner wrote South Pacific with the island in mind. “No wonder you want to go,” the buyer told me.
Bali is arguably the most beautiful spot on earth – considered the Australian Riviera. James Mitchner wrote South Pacific with the island in mind.
The flight, via Hong Kong, lasted 20 hours. When we arrived at the Bali International Airport, we adjusted to the slow customs check-in. (What’s a computer?) Hurry up and wait, (we’re from New York after all). But we had no choice
Other than that, the airport was bedlam — Bali’s definition of organization. We kept our eyes open and hoped for the best. Exhausting.
We selected a taxi – or rather a taxi selected us – and left for the hotel. Our agent-guide-translator would meet us there. The taxi ride was educational.
• Kites filled the clear blue sky. Kite flying is Bali’s national pastime.
• Huge, ornate, carved statues guard many street corners.
• There is no speed limit. We arrived at the hotel shaking and in one piece
• The men are handsome, the woman beautiful
• With an abundance of teak, inexpensive labor and cheap land, hotels were all on one level and gorgeous. Never seen any hotel like them.
• There were lots of Australians.
• One negative. While we were leaving, Al-Qaida blew up a local bar. The island is mostly Muslim.
• Everything, (trinkets, furniture, souvenirs) is teak. Given enough time, (a few days) they will carve anything to your specifications.
We arrived at the first factory early the next day. The rifle toting guard/sentry, after opening the barbed wire-topped gate, let us in. Inside was a bustling compound – a fort of sorts. Much of the factory labor was done outdoors.
We were led inside to a long dark showroom. Everything Teak.
The Australian owner introduced himself and his two attractive female assistants. The assistants wore typical wrap-around sarongs and spoke no English.
They brought out the trays of silver samples…..We began to work.…..
To be continued…..
Chinese economy will grow by 10.1%, compared to an estimated 3% in the US. The Chinese consumer will have plenty of disposable income thanks to the Chinese government’s economic policies.
“Several payment alternatives like debit cards and student accounts not only enable teens to buy on the web but also let parents set spending limits and monitor payment activity,” said Jeffrey Grau, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report “Marketing Online to Teens: Girls Shop with a Social Twist.” “Yet rather than offer these options, many retailers seem content to drive online teenagers to their physical stores.”
stores,” said Grau. “Some enable teens to shop online and instantly get feedback from peers about a considered purchase. Other help teens mix and match fashion outfits. Online retailers that are seriously interested in building their teen customer base should put these tools high on their list of web development priorities.”
the Centre, in an effort for them to develop a few long-term vendor/supplier relationships.
Back to the store. I took the elevator to the second floor – “Silver and Porcelain”: the directory said. The doors opened to an organized confusion. This is where the action was, at least for now.
Take Tiffany & Co., for example. Over the years, Tiffany has become a retail channel by itself. Their skilled management team pioneered silver styling, (i.e. remember the 3-pronged Tiffany setting), merchandising, branding, (i.e. Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso) and pricing. Silver jewelry has become a strong – if not major — part of their product mix. How big a part is, of course, a carefully guarded trade secret? They’ve been doing their silver jewelry homework for decades.