Author: Stuart Plant, CX Director, insight6 (Birmingham).

Where Customer Journeys Shine

Originally published in the Spring edition of The Jeweller.

The UK jewellery sector is experiencing one of its most significant shifts in decades. With high-street footfall declining, digital behaviour rising, and customer expectations increasing faster than many retailers can keep pace, the experience you deliver now matters more than ever.

According to PwC, the UK high street currently sees 15–20 per cent less footfall than pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, 83 per cent of UK consumers prefer a blended online–in-store journey when shopping for considered purchases (Bazaarvoice). 

For jewellers, this means the path a customer takes to your brand is more complex, emotional, and multi-layered than ever. So, mapping that journey is essential. 

See the Whole Journey, Not Just the Store Experience 

You can no longer view your website, social media, online store, and physical space as separate entities – because your customer doesn’t. They expect one seamless journey, regardless of channel. 

The Retail Bulletin reports that 75 per cent of UK shoppers expect consistency across all touchpoints. But inconsistency remains common, especially in the moments before a customer reaches the counter. 

This year, as part of the NAJ Awards, we mystery shopped the finalists in the Jewellery Retailer of the Year category across the full customer journey – website, out-of-hours phone message, email response, and the in-store experience. What we saw was clear: retailers who delivered excellence across every touchpoint created confidence long before the customer arrived, and trust long after the transaction was complete. 

Mapping the journey and measuring it with tools like mystery shopping gives you a complete picture of where your experience shines and where unnecessary friction erodes confidence. 

Bridging the Online–In-Store Divide 

Although jewellery remains a deeply tactile purchase, the journey leading to that moment increasingly begins online. Retail Economics reports that while 61 per cent of shoppers still prefer to complete the purchase in-store, nearly 40 per cent start their decision-making online. 

That means digital touchpoints now require the same level of care and craftsmanship as your in-store experience. 

Four simple improvements you can make right now: 

1. Ensure online stock levels match real availability 

2. Allow customers to reserve or shortlist items for in-store viewing 

3. Maintain consistent messaging and tone across channels 

4. Equip staff with the online enquiry context before customers arrive 

These small but powerful changes eliminate friction and build trust, well before a customer sets foot in your store. 

Mapping Emotions, Not Just Steps 

Jewellery is emotional. Engagements, anniversaries, milestones, memories – customers aren’t just buying a product; they’re buying a moment. 

Yet many retailers still map journeys purely as actions: browse → visit → purchase. The most important dimension – emotion – is missing. 

A simple way to uncover emotional insight is to ask customers, post-purchase, “How did you feel at each stage of your experience with us today?” 

Use their own words – confident, uncertain, delighted, overwhelmed – and plot these against the journey map to highlight where you need to build reassurance, clarity or empathy. 

Get this right, and the rewards go far beyond a single sale. Because jewellery is bought for so many life moments, a delighted customer doesn’t just return, they return repeatedly, over the years. A well-designed journey transforms one purchase into a lifetime relationship. 

Retention: The Hidden Gem of Growth 

Jewellers often spend heavily on acquiring new customers, but the real opportunity lies in nurturing the ones who already know and love your brand. 

As we see across the sector, jewellers who deliver consistently high customer experience scores are typically the strongest commercial performers.  

Three retention touchpoints every jeweller should build: 

1. A personalised thank-you within 24 hours 

2. A 30–90-day check-in to ensure the customer is happy with their piece 

3. A referral or review request once the customer expresses delight 

These thoughtful touches create memorable moments long after the sale and turn a single purchase into advocacy. 

Start Small And Let It Shine 

You don’t need to map every journey at once. Start with your most emotionally significant: engagement rings, bespoke commissions or milestone gifting. Map each step, understand the emotions involved, and work with your team to shape improvements. 

Small insights create big transformations, and the brilliance of your experience becomes as distinctive as your craftsmanship. 

Want to Get Started? 

At insight6, we’ve created a free sample retail customer journey map and supporting guide to help jewellers visualise and assess their experience. Download it here. 

Interested to learn more? Read our Blog on ‘The Retail Customer Journey: Mapping, Stages & How to Get it Right’.

insight6 works with retail businesses across the UK, helping them transform customer experience into a competitive advantage. Visit www.insight6.com or call us on 0800 970 8987. For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Lisa-Marie Mallier at No Fluff Communications, 07789 002149 or lisa@nofluffcomms.co.uk.