The company’s consumer goods chief executive, Robert Buchbauer, stated the group would achieve its number one position over the next five to six years through organic growth, development of in-house brands and concepts, and an acquisition strategy in which Swarovski would take over established jewellery brands.
It would also increase its multichannel approach to connect bricks-and-mortar stores with ecommerce and hence, reach more consumers.
Buchbauer was speaking in Switzerland last week at a press conference prior to BaselWorld’s opening day when he outlined the group’s vision while sharing its latest global business figures.
According to Buchbauer, the acquisitions of existing jewellery brands that meet certain strict criteria would help complete Swarovski’s portfolio.
He did not disclose which brands the group would be targeting.
The conference also gave Swarovski a platform to outline Swarovski Group’s 2012 turnover, which totalled €3 billion (A$3.8bn), with 70 per cent of sales coming from Swarovski consumer goods (jewellery and watch collections), 22 per cent from Swarovski Elements and roughly 8 per cent from Swarovski Gems.
Buchbauer said that more than 30 million pieces of Swarovski jewellery were sold last year, which equated to around one piece of jewellery being sold somewhere in the world every two seconds.
Swarovski men’s jewellery and watches business has experienced a three-fold increase in the past three years since it first launched its men’s jewellery lines. Last year the business increased by 30 per cent.
Presently, Swarovski owns and operates 1,300 stores globally.
Buchbauer added that 50 per cent of its stores had been refurbished and that it was already planning the next generation of store designs tailored to making shopping more convenient.