J.R. Dunn aggregates posts from jewelry brands into one shoppable feed
Lighthouse Point, Fla.–based J.R. Dunn is harnessing the popularity of Instagram to create an online shopping experience tailor-made for millennials.
In an effort to reach millennials who are in the beginning stages of shopping for an engagement ring, the retailer is curating product-specific feeds (engagement rings, fashion jewelry, etc.) using Instragram posts.
These feeds then reside on J.R. Dunn’s website—and each post is shoppable; they feature “Shop Collection” or “Shop Now” buttons that take the user directly to a product page within the retailer’s site.
A screen shot of J.R. Dunn’s new ring-focused Instagram hub
It takes a minute to wrap your brain around the concept (and I’m a retail writer). Is an Instagram feed an Instagram feed when it’s not on the network’s site? No matter. This approach has so many advantages for retailers. It’s the formatting of the shoppable pages that makes it work. The Insta-style pages, collated clearly, are comfortable and familiar for millennials, who typically do their ring research online for months before entering a store to try on rings. And favorite engagement rings, and the shopping page itself, can be shared on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Google+, and Tumblr.
And, as the retailer, you don’t have to worry about working up 2–3 gorgeous pieces of content to post on Instagram every day (instead you’re aggregating your vendors’ beautiful posts that already exist). It also turns the famously un-shoppable Instagram into a highly social e-comm avenue.
“We felt that this was a way we could introduce clients to our brand without delivering them directly to a page with rings on a white background, which is a hard-core e-commerce shopping experience,” said Sean Dunn, co-owner of J.R. Dunn Jewelers. “We wanted to provide them with something useful, where they can enjoy browsing and get ideas before they head out to shop in-store. The approach allows us to introduce ourselves a little earlier in the buying process, and that’s a good thing.”
The retailer has also created a hashtag specifically for the sales channel—#MyRingspiration—in hopes that e-comm shoppers will spread the word.
(Photos courtesy of J.R. Dunn)
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
