Latest News
|
|
|
Can gay marriage boost the bridal biz?
By Catherine Dayrit
October 23, 2008
San Francisco—In the state of California, the bridal market for jewelers got bigger after a mid May court ruling allowed counties to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Although some state jewelers, speaking over the late summer, said it's too early to see the ruling's effects, others have already seen the potential of a demographic eager to signify their legal commitment with fine jewelry.
"They want the wedding they never had," says Jef Timms, owner of jewelry stores Hephaestus and Metalorgy in Palms Springs, Calif.
And that means they will be spending. Same-sex weddings could generate an extra $683.6 million for the bridal industry over the next three years, a Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy study finds.
"It definitely is going to have an impact on an ailing economy," Timms says. "That money that wouldn't have been spent on anything is going to rings, tuxedos—its scope is unending."
Timms says he's seen at least a 42 percent boost in business since the ruling took effect. This might be attributable to his location in the gay-friendly vacation spot of Palm Springs, but Timms also promotes his stores through fund-raisers and community involvement.
Margie Rogerson of San Francisco-based Goldberry says numerous same-sex partners frequent her appointment-only store, but she says that has happened for years.
"I think people, even before, were having ceremonies anyway," she says.
Rogerson finds that most same-sex customers at her platinum-only store buy matching rings, with women tending to make higher-end purchases. Men often favor wider platinum bands, which work well with the larger watches trend.
While Rogerson has yet to see an engagement ring purchase from a same-sex couple, Timms has worked with both men and women readying for proposals and has served more women in the last month than the last three years combined.
For Udi Behr, the designer behind "Love and Pride," an online jewelry destination that seeks to promote equality, diversity and tolerance, business has been booming.
"We had a fantastic May, fantastic June," he says. "Was it a direct effect from the ruling? Absolutely."
When Behr began research for his collection in 2004, he wasn't satisfied with the mostly rainbow-themed jewelry being marketed to gay consumers.
"There's a lot of different people with different needs, so I try to be broader," he says.
The resulting designs range from classic and traditional to more out-there pieces, such as one ring reading "pride." For the designer though, the meaning of the collection is deeper.
"I don't think it's a gay issue," he says. "It's a human issue."
And it's one that the nation might increasingly face, Behr says, predicting that gay marriage will be legal nationwide.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Massachusetts since 2004, and while the California ruling applies only to the state, non-residents might also marry there, so retailers nationwide stand to benefit.
In mid July, Kae Webster of DVVS Fine Jewelry in New York saw three male couples looking to buy bands within one week.
The store sells an eclectic mix of jewelry from designers such as Alex Sepkus and Todd Reed, with styles ranging from basic to intricate.
"There's nothing that sets any ring apart as being a gay ring or a heterosexual ring," she says.
New marketing venues are also being pursued. Rogerson will advertise this fall in an upscale magazine called The Men's Book San Francisco.
Platinum Guild International (PGI) will run consumer tests and try advertising in a few gay publications, with ads sending readers to PGI's Web sites and providing retail location details and education online.
 | | Simple bands, like this one in platinum from Furrer Jacot, tend to be among the most popular pieces for men at DVVS Fine Jewelry in New York. |
"We think that it's a tremendous opportunity, specifically for the jewelry industry and for platinum," says Jenny Luker, senior vice president of PGI-USA. "It's a market segment that people have been targeting somewhat, but with the legalization, that will bring the segment closer to the forefront."
For many retailers, what it comes down to is a matter of dollars and cents.
"They spend money just like straight people spend money," Timms says. "You just have to make them feel comfortable."
Editor's note: This story first appeared in the September 2008 print edition of National Jeweler.
|
|
More Brand Profiles
A night out at the New York City Ballet or Jazz at Lincoln Center is bound to be memorable, but Movado hopes to help make it more so with a new version of its iconic "Museum" watch. Read More
|
Small multi video player located on right rail of NJN site
|
Save
E-mail
Print
Most Popular
RSS
Reprints
