Yuvelirnaya Set 585
Yuvelirnaya Set 585 together with international corporation Nestle has launched a tentative marketing action in the field of cross-promotion: any buyer purchasing jewelry will receive a box of chocolate candies “Golden Peak.” Stores belonging to the 585 network were chosen as a site for this experiment. This was reported by the Yuvelirnaya Rossiya Magazine.
The action was launched as a tentative experiment to survey the consumers’ reaction to the new method of boosting buyers’ loyalty in jewelry retail trade. In the period of this action, every buyer who spent 500 roubles for a purchase received a “tasty surprise” from the Rossia (Nestle) Confectionary Amalgamation – chocolate candies “Golden Peak.”
“Undoubtedly, there was a positive effect. Such collaboration lays a favorable ground for generating additional bonuses which increase loyalty to the trademark,” the company’s spokesmen commented.
It is worthwhile to say that foodstuffs, as a matter of principle, are not considered appropriate commodity environment for jewelry. Chocolate is an exception. It will be remembered that several months ago Bvlgari started selling chocolate in their Tokyo stores. Boucheron celebrated their 150th anniversary by issuing a special string of chocolate candies and making a chocolate pendant with diamonds set on a golden frame. What is more, American jewelry company Le Vian says that diamonds of “champagne” and “cognac” colors are sold better if positioned as “chocolate.”

According to the Yuvelirnaya Rossiya, it was reported that Alexander Smirnov, the owner of the 585 jewelry network, is negotiating the purchase of a franchise offered by the Debenhams, a British network of department stores, which plans to open a new store in Moscow by the autumn of 2009. This is the second attempt made by the British to come to the Russian market.
Francis MacCauley, International Director of Debenhams, told to the Independent that his network will make another shot at the Russian market, but with a new partner. According to Mr. MacCauley, Debenhams is carrying on “serious negotiations” with a potential partner in Russia and expects that they will be completed by the autumn and the first store will be opened in September 2009. Debenhams did not name the potential franchisee.

A source in the RID Group says that Debenhams took interest in a site within the Metropolis Trading Mall under construction in the Leningrad Highway. The Jones Lang LaSalle Company told they had held negotiations “directly with the British, but no agreement was reached.” However, another source at JLL knows that the 585 jewelry network may become the new partner of Debenhams in Russia.

Moscow Jewelry Plant
The open Russian billiards tournament “Russian Diamond” for the cup of the Moscow Jewelry Plant finished in Perm on June 1.
Forty eight billiards players took part in this tournament with a prize fund of five hundred thousand roubles. The tournament and the prize money in the amount of one hundred thousand roubles were won by the most titled participant – Muscovite Eugeni Stalev, an international master of sports and multi-time world champion in different versions, the Zvezda of Perm reported.