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How modern jewelry brands are benefiting from brick-and-mortar

Explore the omnichannel strategies — and successes — of gorjana and Rowan

Even in the age of online stores and TikTok shops, both legacy and emerging jewelry brands are investing in brick-and-mortar retail.

As online spaces become more saturated with products, brands including gorjana and Rowan are turning to physical stores to offer curated, one-of-a-kind experiences and exceptional customer service — building deeper, lasting connections with shoppers.

Let’s look at how these two brands got their start and developed a unique omnichannel strategy that centers brick-and-mortar retail to drive awareness, loyalty, and growth.

Beachy beginnings

The story of gorjana is a tale of passion, authenticity, and pride. Founded in their Laguna Beach apartment in California, Gorjana and Jason Reidel created the brand as an expression of their easy-going, yet eclectic style. Designed to be layered, easy to wear, and with everyday elegance in mind, the brand offers coastal-inspired jewelry. From delicate fine-gold pieces to accessible fashion options, gorjana provides a wide array of selections that customers can mix and match to fit their vibe or outfit.

A dazzling strategy

In 2016, gorjana opened their first retail store in downtown Laguna Beach before expanding to New York the following year, marking a new era for the brand. This strategic move from online retail to an omnichannel approach allowed gorjana to widen its reach while staying true to the brand’s image, story, and mission.

Each brick-and-mortar store exemplifies the roots and essence of gorjana. Shoppers are transported to coastal SoCal by way of a laid-back, beach-inspired interior design featuring crystal quartz chandeliers, custom candles, and driftwood accents.

By infusing their physical stores with the Laguna Beach aesthetic the brand is known for, gorjana offers their target audience more ways to experience the lifestyle they sell. But it isn’t just a vibe that each store offers. Shoppers can pick up online orders, receive complimentary engraving, and get personal styling advice at gorjana retailers. All of this — combined with online orders and same-day delivery — make up the brand’s exceptional omnichannel model, which has made it possible for the company to expand, thrive, and adapt its strategy with the times.

gorjana’s success

With the success of their physical stores, gorjana was able to move from 90% wholesale to about 80% direct-to-consumer in 2020. This made it possible for the brand to expand nationally to over 50 U.S. locations by 2023, cementing in-person retail as a vital piece to gorjana’s success.

In an article from Forbes, gorjana CEO Jason Reidel shared that a storefront helps the brand stand out at a time when nearly every retailer has a website or virtual presence: “Retail is fundamental to our brand’s growth strategy and we continue to see phenomenal growth within the retail sector.” The company achieves this by focusing on moderately sized spaces (765–1,412 sq. ft.), many at notable malls and lifestyle centers within markets they are familiar with, to allow operational agility and quality control. These physical stores offer a curated environment where customers can walk through the lifestyle the brand is selling while interacting with products in a way they can’t online.

An innovative newcomer

Another jewelry brand that’s used brick-and-mortar to massive success is Rowan. Launched in 2018, this piercing studio specializes in ear piercings performed by licensed nurses using hypoallergenic and ethically sourced metals exclusively. While every piercing studio requires a physical store, what sets Rowan apart is the environment they create for their guests.

In juxtaposition with the medical nurses on staff, each store is vibrant, fun, and inviting. With comfy chairs and communal seating, it’s encouraged to treat each piercing as a celebration and an important milestone — one customers should invite all their friends and family to be a part of. Rowan even offer group piercings so the experience can be transformed into an event.

A first piercing can be scary, but Rowan’s brand mission is to help people overcome that fear by providing the highest medical standards and practices. The store design takes this even further. By encouraging guests to gather, celebrate, and support each other in the studio, each piercing can have a story or an emotional connection that creates lasting memories and builds brand loyalty.

Rowan’s retail store reach

This innovative and experiential approach to piercing has taken Rowan to new heights. In just over five years, the brand has opened 81 brick-and-mortar studios, with several more in development. The company is projected to exceed 100 locations and complete one million piercings in 2025 or 2026.

Rowan focuses on a clustered-store strategy — grouping studios regionally to streamline staffing, training, and operational consistency. Each store size varies between 650 and 1,500 sq. ft., making them highly adaptable across malls and lifestyle centers. This scalable strategy allows for Rowan to be consistent and maintain standards across store design, nurse engagement, and more.

By combining an excellent in-store experience with an engaging online presence that allows customers to digitally shopping for new jewelry after their initial piercing, Rowan has crafted a thoughtful and successful omnichannel strategy that is transforming the future of experiential jewelry brands.

Shimmering success stories

Today, both brands are thriving and continuing to expand their brick-and-mortar reach. With over 100 locations — many of which can be found at a Brookfield Properties mall — gorjana has been able to enhance, enrich, and enliven their brand experience by mastering their omnichannel approach of in-store experiences, online shopping, same-day delivery, pickup, engraving, and styling.

Likewise, Rowan has experienced similar success with brick-and-mortar. As the company gets closer to opening their 100th store, Brookfield Properties is proud to have been a part of its early years of success. We look forward to watching the brand grow and expand across even more locations in the years to come.

To check out the latest in luxury jewelry and piercings, find retailers at the following Brookfield Properties malls: