The Gold Dock Group's cloud showroom platform bridges the gap between B2B and B2C, expanding the wholesale range while providing real-time inventory, experience tools, and online display services to retailers.
Chinese jewelry manufacturer and wholesaler Gold Dock Jewelry Group has demonstrated outstanding growth and innovation with its cloud showroom platform. The platform combines the traditional B2B wholesale model with innovative B2C retail components for jewelry retail, meeting various development needs comprehensively.
The cloud showroom enables Gold Dock's jewelry products to reach a wider customer base, not only being sold in its own jewelry stores but also in retail partners' stores. This platform allows physical stores to offer more diverse jewelry products and establish an online presence.
Peter Cheung, Vice Chairman of Gold Dock Jewelry Group, said, "Our system provides a complete set of services for retailers, helping them implement an omnichannel strategy, increase additional revenue, and incorporate experiential elements into traditional physical stores."
Gold Dock Jewelry Group was established in 2008, specializing in the production and wholesale of gold jewelry, with its own stores operating in Fujian Province, where its headquarters are also located. The group also produces the 7 Degree Legend brand of silver jewelry and has nearly 2,000 stores in China.
Shenzhen Gold Dock Jewelry Co., Ltd. manages the wholesale business, with clients across nearly 10,000 enterprises nationwide. Shenzhen Gold Dock Cloud Showroom Technology Co., Ltd. is responsible for new project operations.
Smart Market
The cloud showroom platform integrates IoT, AI, and a self-operated cloud warehouse, composed of three enabling tools: a smart large screen, a management app, and a mini-program mall for WeChat, used for smart retail management, intelligent dispatching, and online customer acquisition.
The smart large screen displays all of Gold Dock's jewelry products, currently covering tens of thousands of items, ranging from 5D, 5G, and 3D gold jewelry to pure gold and silver products. Retailers can place a two-meter-high display rack in their physical stores for customers to browse and place orders, offering more product choices without incurring inventory costs.
The management app allows them to customize the interface, pricing, categories, promotions, branding elements, and other functions for their own brand or branches, enabling them to order products online, manage inventory, and restock. Additionally, it features attractive tools such as Image Search Genie, where users can search for similar items by sharing images of desired products.
Retailers can also categorize products for special promotions and themed sales, highlight delivery offers such as same-day delivery for orders placed before a certain time, and attract traffic through lotteries and games.
Moreover, the data analytics feature improves conversion rates by generating sales and inventory reports, analyzing purchasing patterns, and providing valuable insights based on customer behavior.
The cloud showroom also comes with an exclusive WeChat mini-program, effectively providing retailers with e-commerce functionality.
Cheung shared, "Millennial and Gen Z consumers now prefer online shopping, but many traditional retailers still lack digital expertise. With the WeChat mini-program, they can offer curated products to younger customers, effectively expanding their customer base through their own online store."
B2B for B2C
Despite the platform's consumer-oriented interface, Gold Dock still plays a strict B2B role on this platform, according to Cheung.
All products are displayed under the retailer's name and can be incorporated into their own collections and private labels. Orders, deliveries, and restocking are all handled on a wholesale basis between Gold Dock and its clients.
Cheung said, "Throughout the transaction process, we do not transact with the retailer's customers. Stores select, plan, price, and profit from products. We simply act as their supplier, sending the orders generated in their accounts to them."
He added that, in many ways, this business strategy is similar to online shopping cart integration, accessing real-time inventory. But in this online-to-offline scenario, both sides benefit significantly from the partnership.
Gold Dock can expand the exposure and distribution of its jewelry products, while retailers can expand their product offerings and earn sales profits without holding inventory or investing in goods. The platform also accepts small orders, even as few as one piece.
Distribution Network
The smart large screen of the cloud showroom was initially launched in September 2023 and has been installed in about 100 jewelry stores across China, including but not limited to Gold Dock stores. Cheung said their goal is to have 3,000 clients in 100 cities across China by the end of 2024. Eventually, the screens will be installed in all 7 Degree Legend stores.
"The possibilities are limitless. We have the potential to install this platform in 10,000 stores. All Gold Dock-owned and operated stores have installed the smart large screens, and the next step is to install them in 7 Degree Legend stores and non-Gold Dock stores," said Cheung. "In the future, the cloud showroom display screen could even be placed in non-jewelry stores like fashion boutiques, clothing shops, and bridal stores through cross-industry alliances."
According to the company, the cost of a three-year contract to use the cloud showroom in China ranges from RMB 3,000 (about USD 414) to RMB 8,000 (about USD 1,104), depending on the required equipment. In addition to the large screen, packages may also include tablets configured to the platform.
While the cloud showroom currently only sells Gold Dock jewelry products, the group plans to leverage its supply chain advantages to integrate more third-party products into the system.
Global Goals
There are also significant opportunities in the international market. Cheung has identified two ways to export the cloud showroom business model overseas. The first is for retailers outside China to display Gold Dock's jewelry products on the cloud showroom platform and sell them to Chinese customers in local markets. The second is to partner with suppliers, distributors, and jewelry wholesalers looking to replicate this concept in other countries.
Cheung explained, "We have the technology and expertise to build the system, providing services to overseas wholesalers wishing to expand their distribution through retail stores. This concept is particularly suitable for markets with a large number of small traditional brick-and-mortar stores that do not want to make significant investments in inventory. The platform can also be customized according to local regulations and fulfillment conditions."
While the current system is configured for WeChat, Gold Dock is exploring ways to integrate the system with other social, messaging, and e-commerce applications to provide online store functionality outside of China.
Cheung said, "Beyond growing our own wholesale business, our goal is to empower small retailers and help them survive in a competitive business environment. With more product choices, special promotions, activities, and interactive features to attract customers, they can cater to new and younger consumer groups while effectively managing their business without making significant capital investments."