Blue Nile Continues Offline Growth

Blue Nile is growing its physical store footprint with a new addition to its list.

The diamond retailer announced the opening of its second brick-and-mortar store at The Westchester mall in White Plains, New York.

The opening of the new store speaks to the brand’s ambition to blur the line between online and offline commerce, which is something that today’s tech-savvy shoppers increasingly tend to seek out in their omnichannel shopping experience.

The opening of the new store comes after the Seattle-based online retailer opened its first physical store at the Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City, New York, in June last year.

Now, the company has plans to open two more omnichannel-focused stores, which it calls “Webrooms,” later this summer. The two stores will be located at the Tysons Corner Center mall in Fairfax County, Virginia, and at the Washington Square mall in Portland, Oregon.

The Webrooms allow customers to view over 400 styles in person, try on engagement rings, place orders on in-store tablets with the help of noncommissioned consultants or go home and purchase later at their convenience. Prices at the Webrooms are the same as they are online and can be up to 40 percent below traditional jewelers, the company said.

“We’re learning there are a lot of new customers who are finding us for the first time through the Webroom and that some of our existing customers who love our quality and value still want to see, touch and feel the ring,” said Blue Nile Chief Merchandising Officer Julie Yoakum.

After the success of its first location, the company said, it might open up to a total of four locations by the end of this year.