Page 25 - #201 September 2025
P. 25

Interview


 W  HILST  SHE  HAD  HELD  A    someone interacts with the business.
 longstanding love of unique and
             As our conversation moves onto the
 contemporary jewellery styles,
 Connie’s mission was always to build some-  topic of sustainability, we learn that it
           plays an incredibly important role within
 thing more than just a jewellery brand. She   the business. For example, they ensure they
 instead wanted to create a company that could   use responsible materials and recyclable
 be considered a leader in experiential retail.  packaging, alongside donating to various
 At Astrid & Miyu, there is a continuous   charity partners like The Felix Project and
 drive to manufacture meaningful and personal   The Baytree Project.
 experiences through jewellery, delivered via   They also have their very own recycling
 immersive in-store experiences and a strong   scheme, Astrid & Re-New, which allows
 community. They want every touchpoint, from   people to give their jewellery a new lease of
 product to service, to feel thoughtful.  life. Customers can send their jewellery back
 There are currently 26 stores operating   to them or drop off any unwanted sterling
 across the UK, with new openings having   silver jewellery (from any brand) and they
 taken place in Selfridges London & Manches-  will send them off to be recycled. Customers
 ter, Belfast and Bicester Village. They have   who do this will then receive 1,000 loyalty
 also expanded into Europe and the US, includ -  points to spend in-store or online.
 ing Amsterdam and New York. One of their   It is elements such as this that help
 most exciting milestones was the opening of   create customer loyalty, something that
 their flagship site in August last year - the   is more important than ever in such a
 House of Astrid & Miyu, which is located    competitive  retail  environment.  Nam
 in Carnaby.  also feels they create this through their
 Most recently the company has unveiled   experiential  in-store  experiences  and
 stores in Belfast and Bicester Village, as   community events.
 well as relaunching Selfridges in London in   “Creating connections to consumers   Astrid & Miyu, Hampstead, UK
 August, reflecting their strategy of meeting   through  these  personal  experiences  is
 customer demand across major cities and   central to standing out in a competitive
 retail destinations.  market. We want customers to feel part of
 As with all their locations, these new units   something bigger. We also have loyalty pro -
 offer a range of personalisable and stackable   grammes that reward repeat customers,
 jewellery, as well as services including onsite   offering them early access to highly antici-
 piercings and weldings. These in-store experi-  pated drops. In addition, we make sure we
 ences are at the core of Astrid & Miyu, taking   take on feedback to help shape our product
 them from a jewellery brand into the lifestyle   development and service offerings.”
 realm and giving their consumers the oppor-  At Astrid & Miyu, they do not just sell
 tunity to create lasting memories.  jewellery, they aim to redefine the industry
 Speaking on expansion, Nam highlights   through community building and immersive
 that they are continuing to accelerate in the   retail experiences and their ethos is centred
 UK and expanding internationally with a new   around the ambition to be true pioneers in   Astrid & Miyu, Belfast, UK
 NYC location on Madison Avenue (due in Octo -  the realm of experiential retail.
             They aim to go beyond the traditional
 ber) and that in the past few months, they   role of a jewellery brand by offering much   Astrid & Miyu, Manchester, UK
 Breaking    Sunkiss Tattoos™, as they keep on expanding   more than just exquisite pieces. They seek
 have introduced bespoke tattoos and their
 their offerings and diversifying their product
           to inspire, engage and connect with their
 categories. This will continue in October with
           community on a deeper level, redefining
 the introduction of belly piercings.
           what it means to shop for jewellery in a way
 the Boundaries  seamless experience for our guests, both   that combines innovation, storytelling and
 “At Astrid & Miyu, we create a personal,
           exceptional service.
 in-store and online. Above all, we believe that
             “Looking  ahead,  we  are  excited  to
           continue building Astrid & Miyu, both in
 keeping our staff happy and well-trained is
 key to delivering an exceptional experience,”
           presence. Our focus remains on creating a
 explains Connie Nam, Founder & CEO of the   terms of our product offerings and global
 business. “Our team is the first touchpoint   stronger connection with our customers,
 for our customers and the true ambassadors   whether  through  new  store  openings,
 What started as a passion   of our brand. They offer expert advice to   innovative collaborations, or enhancing our
 project from her home in   help customers find pieces that reflect their   digital presence,” Nam comments.
 2012 whilst not being able   unique style, ensuring personalised service at   She also puts across that the greatest
 to find contemporary jew-  every touchpoint.”  challenge they face is maintaining the
           balance between growth and intimacy
 She continues by saying that for anyone
 ellery at affordable prices,   who shops with them, they will be presented   with their community. As they scale, they
 has grown into a move-  with a seamless experience, whether in-store   must ensure they stay true to their core
 ment that has completely   or online, thanks to their strong omni-channel   values and personalised services. Their
           community-centred approach is integral to
 approach. They also prioritise community
 revolutionised the jewellery experience. Over   engagement, staying connected with cus-  everything they do and they want to ensure
 the next two pages, we converse with Connie   tomers through social media, events and   that as they grow, they keep on building
           meaningful relationships with customers.
 loyalty programs. They also listen closely to
 Nam, Founder & CEO of Astrid & Miyu about   customer feedback, using it to continually   “The key will be staying agile, nurturing
 the expansion journey the company has been on   improve their service and offerings. By com-  our incredible team and keeping that unique
 in recent years and what the next steps are.  bining these elements, they aim to deliver   Astrid & Miyu touch that has defined our
 a consistently great experience every time   success from the start,” Nam concludes.
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