A new generation of shoppers are looking beyond the sparkle of Mia Bijoux’s gorgeous jewellery and are falling for the brand’s core values.
Gen Z is changing the game for retailers
Even the most traditional of industries are being seen through the fresh eyes of modern shoppers. Take jewellery, for example. In Canada, this $3.6-billion industry has been defined by its highest end offerings for decades, with shoppers more attuned to eye-popping price tags than what work it takes to bring these stunning pieces to market.
But all that is changing thanks to a new generation of shoppers looking beyond all that sparkle.
How Mia Bijoux is adapting to thrive
“It is difficult to stand out in the jewellery industry right now. You need to use strategies that will connect with Gen Z and younger Millennials. If you don’t, you just fade into the competition,” said Melissa Robert, Director, Marketing and Ecommerce, Mia Bijoux. “That’s why everything we do keeps systemic sustainability in mind. Every move, every strategy focuses on the customer and their values.
It is not an exaggeration to say this new generation of shoppers isn’t interested if they don’t share your values. That’s how it works in 2023. Product. Packaging. Shipping. Even social agendas. They are looking at everything.
Founded in 2011, Mia Bijoux creates beautiful and sustainable jewellery that is also allergen free and safe for skin. Free of toxic materials, the Quebec-based brand’s creations use the softest, most hypoallergenic materials possible, including pioneering the use of stainless steel and lab-grown stones in high-quality women’s jewellery.
Largely, the company targets young professional women between 25 and 45 years old, but it has begun to attract a new generation of younger shoppers: Gen Z and younger Millennials. This new wave is attracted to the brand’s environmental and social sustainability efforts that drive every corner of the operation.
“All of our customers are looking for quality and value, but we fit with the needs of this upcoming generation as they are very conscious shoppers. Once they discover Mia, they like what we have to offer,” Robert said.
When it comes to social and environmental issues, Generation Z is not only hyperaware of what’s going on in the world but feels their actions can create lasting change. Mia Bijoux welcomes being examined by their incredible consumer microscope.
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Download the magazineLeading with their (shared) brand values
Beyond its products, the company prides itself on presenting a socially responsible, authentic and eco-friendly face for shoppers.
“Gen Z doesn’t only buy a product; they buy into a company, its values and its people,” said Kim Labrecque, General Manager, Mia Bijoux. “They want to know everything. This is the big difference between this new generation of shoppers and all others. They look beyond the product.”
Labrecque pointed out the importance of social responsibility, for example.
“They want to know if we have a human touch,” he said, citing the brand’s Earrings of Hope campaign.
Every year since 2014, Mia Bijoux has created an exclusive pair of earrings in collaboration with Leucan, an organization that supports children during their fight against leukemia. For each pair sold, the company donates $20 to the organization.
To date, the Earrings of Hope campaign has donated more than $1.1 million.
That’s just one piece of solving a larger puzzle of Gen Z, Robert added.
“They don’t shop the same way. They may love a product, love the style, even love the price, but that doesn’t mean they buy right away. They do more research about the brand first. They read reviews. It’s very important what their friends think about the products, too,” she explained.
“They love quality, they want quality, but if they find a company offering something very similar that fits more with their values, they will choose that one.”
Listening to, and connecting with, customers
There is incredible pressure on brands to understand shoppers. For Mia Bijoux, that means listening to and watching shoppers closely. In addition to having direct communication with customers, the company also follows trends online, including watching what people are sharing through social media. It’s all about staying active in the conversation, Robert said.
The largely ecommerce brand also looks to expand its ambassador programs in the coming year to help “spread the word about Mia” through social media, particularly across English-speaking Canada.
That’s not something the industry has worried about with previous generations of shoppers. But, as Robert points out, the industry has changed.
“It’s a lot of pressure. But we want to stand out from the competition and so we need to understand everything they want from an enterprise,” she said.
We all need to realize that this generation of shoppers is much more conscious. They are looking for the best thing for themselves and the planet. We are not going to change them; they are going to change us.
How brands can engage conscious consumers like Gen Z
Brands can prepare for the future by taking note of the bottom-up shifts in shopping behaviour that arise as older generations follow their lead.
When engaging Gen Z and Millennials, be clear about your brand’s purpose and values and how they are part of how you do business.
Share your sustainability story and what you’re doing to positively impact the environment and society across every customer touchpoint.
Sources:
Canada Post’s 2022 eShopper Survey conducted by Phase 5 Consulting Group, May 2022.
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