How Signet, the owner of Kay and Zales, is courting younger shoppers

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Stitcher. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend! A few years ago, Signet Jewelers, the parent of mall-based jewelry brands such as Zales and Kay, was suffering sales declines as younger shoppers opted for trendier boutique stores or direct-to-consumer online startup brands. A 2019 New York Times exposé of a toxic work environment at Akron, Ohio-based Signet only hastened the need for change. Now under new leadership, the retailer has been in turnaround mode as it seeks to court younger shoppers and overhaul its marketing strategy. “Our banners were losing share, we were struggling in many ways to keep up with the rapid changes in the jewelry industry,” says Jamie Singleton, Signet’s president and head of marketing on the latest episode of the “Marketer’s Brief” podcast. “We needed innovation and to step forward and do things in a way that appealed to a younger generation.” Subscribe to Ad Age now for the latest industry news and analysis. On the podcast, Singleton discusses recent changes such as using data around customer preferences to put together product collections, and Kay’s Unstoppable campaign, which highlighted coronavirus separation early in the pandemic. Signet has also switched up its marketing channels to eliminate unnecessary costs. The retailer removed its linear TV ads and is now relying on digital channels and social media to better interact with customers. “We were able to take those linear TV dollars and invest in more active mediums,” says Singleton, noting that customers have responded positively. The changes appear to be paying off. Signet recently reported first-quarter sales that exceeded analyst expectations. E-commerce sales rose 110% over last year, and brick-and-mortar same-store sales were up 106%. Total sales increased 98% in the quarter to $1.7 billion, compared with the first quarter of last year, and 18% compared with the same period two years ago. Despite the marketing changes, Signet is not abandoning the brand equity it has built up from memorable taglines such as “Every kiss begins with Kay.” “The seven notes of ‘Every kiss begins with Kay’ are so iconic that if you listen to our marketing and ad spots now you hear the music without the words,” says Singleton. “We believe those are so inherent to the DNA of these brands that we hold on to them when we’re turning them around, in a mode of pivoting from the past to the future.”

How Signet, the owner of Kay and Zales, is courting younger shoppers

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