Australia: Retail Edge Consultants is developing a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform for independent jewellery retailers, designed to bring customer enquiries, communication and follow-up activities into a single system. Retailer testing is scheduled for late 2026, with a wider industry rollout planned for the first quarter of 2027.
The platform will consolidate customer interactions across SMS, email, Facebook and Instagram into a unified inbox, allowing retail teams to manage conversations without switching between multiple communication channels. It will also integrate with The Edge, Retail Edge's existing point-of-sale and inventory management software, enabling sales, stock and customer information to remain synchronised in near real time.
A central feature of the proposed system is its ability to connect customer conversations with purchasing histories and preferences. By bringing communication records and transaction data together, the CRM aims to provide sales staff with a more comprehensive understanding of individual customers, supporting personalised recommendations and more informed follow-ups.
The platform's planned features include customer purchase histories, wish lists, preferences, important dates, appointment scheduling and team briefings. It will also incorporate AI-assisted visit notes, Meta campaign management tools and automated prompts for post-purchase customer engagement.
These capabilities are intended to help independent jewellers manage customer relationships more consistently across digital and physical retail channels. Access to recorded preferences and wish lists could support future purchasing conversations, while appointment reminders and follow-up prompts may help sales teams maintain regular engagement with customers.
Commenting on the development, Leon van Megen, General Manager of Retail Edge Consultants, highlighted the changing nature of customer engagement in jewellery retail. Speaking to Jeweller, he noted that purchasing relationships increasingly begin through social media, text messages and online enquiries rather than exclusively through showroom visits.
He explained that the company's objective is to convert existing customer information into practical guidance, helping retailers identify whom to contact, when to follow up and where potential sales opportunities may arise.
The CRM also represents an important step in Retail Edge's transition towards cloud-based software. It is the first in a planned series of web-based products, while the company has confirmed that its existing Edge point-of-sale and inventory management system will continue to receive support during the transition.
Retail Edge currently provides its software to more than 400 independent jewellery stores across Australia and New Zealand. The new CRM is being developed to operate alongside The Edge, Edge Pulse analytics and the company's business coaching services, extending its existing retail technology ecosystem.
For independent jewellery retailers, the integration of customer communication with sales and inventory records could address a common operational challenge: maintaining continuity as customers move between online enquiries and in-store purchases. A connected system may allow sales teams to respond with greater context while reducing the need to manage information across separate applications.
The planned introduction also reflects the increasing role of automation and AI-assisted tools in jewellery retail management, particularly in customer engagement, lead tracking and post-sale communication.
With retailer testing scheduled to begin in late 2026, the platform's effectiveness will depend on its performance in everyday store operations, including ease of use, integration reliability and the ability to support existing retail workflows. Its wider launch in early 2027 will provide an opportunity to assess how connected customer management systems can support independent jewellery businesses.