Newsletter
of the Washington College Department of Business Management | Spring
2000
Student
enterprise: The Online Jewelry Company
Henri and Andrew Prins
Biz@washcoll.edu regularly profiles student entrepreneurs. This issue,
meet Henri and Andrew Prins, who are taking their family jewelry business
to—where else?—the Internet. Henri graduated from Washington
College, in 1999 with a degree in economics and a minor in philosophy.
Andrew, a senior at Washington College, is majoring in economics and minoring
in business management. Here the Prins brothers talk about their e-commerce
vision and strategy.
Prins and Volkhardt Jewelers is a family-owned and -operated jewelry store
based in southeastern Pennsylvania. Since 1972, our family's store has
grown by building strong relationships with artisans, manufacturers, collectors
and connoisseurs in the region and around the world. Our family regularly
travels all over the world to buy materials, attend trade shows and visit
stone-cutting factories—all to meet and surpass their customers'
expectations.
We believe that taking the jewelry business online in the form of The
Online Jewelry Company http://www.
theonlinejewelrycompany.com is the next logical step. The Online Jewelry
Company will continue Prins and Volkhardt's commitment to quality and
service. The web site will offer visitors all the information they need
to learn about jewelry and make informed decisions, explaining industry
jargon and breaking down the elements used within the industry like different
gemstones, precious metals and craftsmanship. Besides timely deliveries
and a 30-day return policy for our customers, the web site will allow
us to serve our customers better through automatic order tracking, complete
customer transaction histories, appraisal information, manufacturer management,
inventory management and special order management. The online store will
be able to rapidly custom produce, commission or locate any desired item
not in stock. Because of our low overhead and extension of a bricks-and-mortar
jewelry store to a web enterprise, we'll be able to offer a broad inventory
that should attract a diverse group of customers.
The site was developed with help from our very own Washington College
departments of business management, economics and computer science, and
in partnership with Addison Technologies, Inc. Addison helped us develop
a secure back-end where we can manage inventory, track orders, manage
site content, interact with customers and even handle chores like billing
and accounting. They've also given the project a polished front end, including
3-D views of many items, a magnifying glass feature to allow close inspection
of gems and precious-metal details, and quite a few other bells and whistles.
As we launch the website, we're committed to providing an online jewelry
shopping experience that is faithful to the service and attention to detail
that Prins and Volkhardt has become known for over the past 30 years.
The Online Jewelry Company is based in Wayne, Pa. To learn more about
the company visit its web site at http://www.theonline
jewelrycompany.com , call toll free 1-866-ALL GEMS (866-255-4367)
or email Henri or Drew (henri@collectorjewelry.com and drew@collecterjewelry.com).