A few days ago, I attended a Women's in Business Networking event held at the Tiffany & Co. building on 5th Avenue, in New York ( and there were drinks, hence the title). The guest speaker was a top executive at Tiffany, and as such she talked a little bit about the company and the challenges it faces as a high end jewelry retailer.
As she was going through the usual points of better marketing and so on, she mentioned that it is one of their ultimate goals to get WOMEN to buy their OWN jewelry.
Interesting point... was my first reaction. If 90% (or so) of their jewelry is women's jewelry and they seem to be doing pretty well, who is buying their jewelry?
You know the answer, but just in case you have any doubts, it is MEN that buy the majority of the jewelry at Tiffany, and not to wear it themselves, but to give it to their wives, fiancees, girlfriends, sisters and mothers to name a few.
The majority of the women nodded in agreement as the Tiffany executive was delivering the facts and calling the women in the room to stop by the lower floors and buy something for themselves.
So, why are women not buying their own jewelry but want their men to buy it for them?
The engagement ring, there is an extremely strong social perception that men are the one that buy it, so I will live it alone for now ( although, I have serious issues with it).
But other jewelry, why would women not buy it themselves?
One reason is that they just cannot afford it as traditionally men were the breadwinners. But these women in the room were all Wall Street executives that had their own money and for sure could afford to buy their own jewelry. So, the next reason is that women want to be celebrated for who they are and their contributions to their families and for that reason they want their men to buy them jewelry. Another reason, I was told by a friend of mine, is that there is a social expectation that the man, or better the husband is the ones that gives jewelry to the wife in sign of love and appreciation. You do not want to be perceived as the one that buys her own jewelry.
I frankly do not understand this - I love myself and of course I appreciate myself, that is pretty human.
To close, I truly hope that women who do not buy their own jewelry are not doing it because they do not consider themselves worthy of it!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Cocktails at Tiffany's
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2 comments:
Don't even get me started on engagement rings! ARGH. Let's try to buy your love, and committment, oh and virginity!
I love jewelry. I do. And I get excited when John buys me stuff (and he has great taste...surprisingly). But, it's never expensive and it's always personal.
HOWEVER. If I ever make more than a non-profit salary, you better believe I'm buying myself some pretty stuff, and I will not be expecting anyone else to chip in.
(unless of course Mommy wants to get me a Vespa.)
It astonishes me in this day that women are still holding on to these ridiculous traditions....I get the engagement ring thing (to a point) but if the guy has bad taste you are stuck for who knows how long and being in the business I have seen this happen more than frequently....more astonishing to me is that women will spend upwards of $2500 on a new outfit which will last a few seasons but not on a beautiful piece of jewellery which will last a lifetime ...Ladies if you buy some jewellery for yourself your husbands, boyfriends, partners will still buy you jewellery if you let them know you want them too as well....can you ever have too much!!!
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