Ankle Bracelets

After doing your research on the local and wider market, you may feel that your retail jewelery business should be targeted to a specific product – particularly if you find that there is already a lot of competition. For example, you might find that a lot of jewelery outlets stock ranges of bracelets to be worn on the arm, but not that many different types of ankle bracelet.

Whilst that may at first seem like a perfect product to go for, it is a risky business buying a whole load of wholesale ankle bracelets only to find that there is, in fact, no market at all for your product.  It might therefore be worth looking to see if there is a specific angle to take within the ankle bracelet spectrum so that you can then concentrate on targeted marketing.  For example, there may be a market for plus size ankle bracelets or for extra small anklets, or another route may be to specialize in Indian, Arabic or Middle Eastern wholesale ankle bracelets, which are typically worn by women as part of their bridal outfit.

It is very tempting to try and find a specialized product but beware also of falling into the trap of investing into the, very short-lived, high fashion trends that come round from time to time. For example in the 2008 Chanel Spring/Summer collection ankle bracelets sporting a little attached purse were featured.  The look, in my opinion, was completely ridiculous, and thank goodness it did not translate to the high street!

If, however, you do think there is a gap in the ankle bracelet market and feel that you have what it takes to make it work, then there are a couple of key things to consider before sourcing your wholesale ankle bracelet order.

First of all is size – this is, on the whole, much more important for anklets than for arm bracelets.  Ankle bracelets typically come in a range of sizes from 9 inch extra small to 14.5 inch plus sizes, and usually are made in half-inch increments. Take time to research your key clients, and bear in mind that if the client’s actual ankle is 9.5 inches then the bracelet needs to be 10 inches in order to hang prettily rather than strangle the ankle!

So, how large is your typical clients ankle?  Perhaps, it would make more sense to stock more of the average size anklet than too many of the extreme sizes at either end of the scale.

Secondly, in fashion – as mentioned above, there are all kinds of ankle bracelets to suit all kinds of tastes.  They come in a range of materials and styles – from bejeweled ones made of precious metals, to less formal ones made of woven hemp or leather aimed at the surfer/ skateboard market.  It would make sense, I think, to start out with one style of anklet to test your capabilities in marketing, rather than trying to cover all bases.

As always the key is in researching your market thoroughly!  Find out who you want to market to and what they want, and then source the wholesale ankle bracelet that fits!