Like every business, A&A Jewellery has been forced to adapt in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and an example of that can be seen with an annual event that started last week.
Their 48th-anniversary sale is normally a big event for the store, but they couldn鈥檛 have people drop by the business and view the selection. They decided to do it as a Facebook live sale, with the first one happening April 22; 46 items were available. Those items were posted online afterwards.
鈥淚t went over very well, and I鈥檝e been getting messages that people would like these to continue even after we鈥檙e open again,鈥� said co-owner Laurel Buck.
The second sale is April 28 at 7 p.m., so that they could reach those who are working and can鈥檛 make it for an afternoon session. The final one is April 30 at noon.
The anniversary sales would usually see A&A send out an invite, and their loyalty cardholders would get the opportunity to attend the first day. Then the public would get their turn to shop on subsequent days.
Usually, it happens over the course of two weeks, and they have added incentives to bring customers into the store.
A&A Jewellery has done their best to engage their customers even though the business has been closed to public access since mid-March. They have a texting app that sends messages to desktops and phones, and Buck has been employing Facebook messenger as well.
Buck referred to it as 鈥減ersonalized service over the Internet.鈥�
People have been going to their website and reserving their items. A&A has had curbside payments and a few deliveries in recent weeks.
The pandemic and the closure of the business to foot traffic are particularly tough, because jewellery is one business in particular in which customers like to hold and feel the item before they purchase it.
鈥淎 lot of people want to try a ring on or look to see what a pendant looks like around their neck. So it makes it a little different, but I think rather than just looking at a picture, that鈥檚 where the Facebook live comes in handy, too, because they can see the diamonds sparkle or the colour of something, so it鈥檚 not just a company stock photo,鈥� she said.
While the business has adapted well, Buck believes the customers have also done a good job of adjusting to the challenge.
The provincial government announced last week that retail stores will be able to open again on May 19, and Buck is looking forward to seeing A&A鈥檚 customers again in a face-to-face setting.
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