The Bevilles store, which opened in late November, is located in Melbourne’s London Stores building near the high-traffic Bourke Street Mall shopping strip.
Bevilles CEO Michelle Beville said the new location was “just a few doors down” from where her grandparents opened the first Bevilles store in 1934.
It also marks Bevilles’ first Melbourne CBD presence in four years; the jewellery chain previously operated a high-profile store in Bourke Street Mall, which closed in 2011 after international jewellery brand Swarovski outbid the local jeweller to rent the prominent retail location.
“The [Melbourne] CBD was selected as the first new store opening since the rebrand as this is the heartbeat of Melbourne,” Beville explained. “Our return to the city will make the purchase of fabulous jewellery convenient for all our CBD customers and international visitors.”
Rebranding effects
The store’s opening could also be an indicator that Bevilles’ rebranding strategy has been effective.
“The [Melbourne] CBD was selected as the first new store opening since the rebrand as this is the heartbeat of Melbourne,” Beville explained. “Our return to the city will make the purchase of fabulous jewellery convenient for all our CBD customers and international visitors.”
Rebranding effects
The store’s opening could also be an indicator that Bevilles’ rebranding strategy has been effective.
The retail chain announced in late 2013 that it would roll out new-look stores across Australia that would place a larger focus on diamonds, jewellery and watches, while phasing out giftware.
In a surprising turn of events, Bevilles entered voluntary administration in April 2014, and then, only one month later, news broke that the Bevilles family had reacquired the business.
Although the retailer continued to refurbish its stores with the new design, a revised operational structure resulted in the closure of a number of outlets and a significant reduction in staff.
Commenting on the retailer’s performance since the restructure, including the success of the rebrand, Beville said the business had seen “significant sales growth” in the engagement rings, diamond jewellery and watches categories over the past 18 months.
“Over the past two years, Bevilles has refurbished the majority of their stores to their fresh, new smaller and smarter look. Our strategy to give customers a modern, open and approachable experience whilst shopping for beautiful jewellery has been exceptionally well received.”
The new Melbourne store’s offering includes a range of international product, watch brands, a wide array of diamond jewellery, as well as a collection of engagement rings designed by Beville herself.
Bevilles currently operates 17 stores across Australia, including 11 in Victoria, five in NSW and one in South Australia. Prior to its business woes in 2014, the company operated 27 stores.
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