As the sales approach, I thought it would be interesting to explain to you why I don't participate in them, like more and more local designers and brands.
First and foremost, for economic reasons.
Mega-sales and repeated promotions, Black Friday, fast-fashion brands, Amazon... remind us of the importance of returning to the notion of a product's value, the existence of costs, and the necessity of margins. The reality of a small-scale brand has nothing to do with the giant industry. We cannot compete in terms of price; however, we guarantee an exceptional product, careful thought, quality, durability, and a vastly superior service.
Let's break down what the price of a MADALENN jewel includes
- upcycled antique elements
Of course, prices differ depending on the material, the era, or the rarity of the pieces selected. Beyond the price paid for a chain or a medal, hunting for these items requires a lot of time, patience, but also travel, to visit second-hand dealers, flea markets, and antique fairs.
-the purchase of new, European, and quality elements, the price of which is obviously higher than brass costume jewelry bought in bulk from Asia.
-the time spent cleaning or repairing pieces, sorting jewelry, preparing a workstation, and above all, the time spent on the meticulous assembly work. For some jewelry, especially for earrings, there are so many parts to assemble that it takes well over an hour to make.
- photo shoots on my famous stone background, shoots of worn jewelry, and retouching, before their distribution on the e-shop or on Instagram.
-client prospecting, collaboration opportunities, networking, in addition to the time spent preparing pop-ups and meeting you there – exciting days always full of encounters but requiring a lot of energy.
-jewelry tools, camera, various software...
Without revealing everything, all of this represents a colossal amount of work when you're steering the ship alone, and I no longer count my hours of contemplation, which could also be accounted for as intellectual production.
And if one wishes to be profitable, that is, to receive the fruits of one's labor, a margin must be added. And asking us to cut it by offering sales simply prevents us from fully living from it, being proud of it, and being able to develop it. Nevertheless, the prices of my jewelry are set to be fair and affordable, all year round.
And then, of course, for ethical reasons.
It seems fairer to offer well-calculated prices that are accessible throughout the year, rather than inflating margins and slashing prices for two months a year, which creates a sense of urgency in purchases. Manipulating prices is a bit like manipulating your customers; it creates a ... effect.
Among the most common scams identified, the reference price scam is one of the most recurrent. The principle is simple: display a non-sale price that is much higher than the product's original price, all accompanied by a significant reduction.
Too often, sales offered by large retailers are disguised. Sometimes, it's no longer about selling off excess stock, but rather increasing it in anticipation of sales, with inferior quality for certain products to slash prices.
And then sales also actively contribute to over-consumption. 47% of clothes, shoes, bags, and other household linen are bought on promotion (20% during sales, 27% during occasional operations), according to Kantar Worldpanel. In this commercial logic of fast-fashion that has been in place for several years, the impression of getting a good deal by buying more has become common.
It is for this reason that I chose to join the Make Friday Green Again collective, whose main action takes place on the day of the famous Black Friday, and aims to raise consumer awareness of the importance of returning to normal functioning, all year round. We are now over 600 committed to not offering promotions during Black Friday, and to promoting healthier consumption to combat climate change.
No sales at MADALENN then, but occasional reductions on old models (what we now call Archives, it sounds chicer), and above all, thanks. Because if you are kind enough to help me grow by talking about my work on Instagram, Facebook, or by leaving a review on Google, it seems natural for me to thank you by offering you a discount.
If you didn't know, moving up the Google pages, which is necessary, comes, among other things, from the number of reviews one obtains. It only takes 2 minutes, and it's a step that has a real impact for MADALENN.