Who Is Gemtime ?

'Gemtime' is the brand identity which currently defines a group of 25 successful New Zealand based retail jewellery stores, as well as the Head Office (located in Napier, NZ) that provides essential administrative support functions to Gemtime members - not least of which is a central invoicing facility.

Individual Gemtime store owners are collectively the shareholders of Gemtime New Zealand Limited - a public, non-listed Company which was formed in 1981. A well structured Franchise Agreement and Company Constitution provide defined operational and structural guidelines, and an elected Board of Directors is primarily responsible for identifying and implementing an overall 'business vision'.

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How Does Gemtime Operate ?

Direction Setting
The 'Gemtime' brand, Business Plan and Marketing Plan underpin the business direction of Gemtime stores. In order to become a Gemtime member, members purchase a stakeholding in the company 'Gemtime New Zealand Limited'. This investment provides each member with ordinary shares, and entitles each member to have an equal say when voting occasions arise.

Affordability of National Promotions
A National Marketing Budget, created by both a monthly advertising levy paid by members plus preferred supplier contributions, provides for the major national marketing activities that stores participate in from year to year.

'Preferred Supplier' Relationships
Based on a range of defined criterion (including: historical levels of member purchases, estimated future levels of purchases, strength of working relationship, delivery reliability, etc), 'Preferred Supplier' status is awarded to qualifying industry suppliers. These companies, in return for favourable trading terms:

• Are given the opportunity to feature product in appropriate nationally promoted catalogues
• Are invited to attend Gemtime-specific Buying Meetings
• Enjoy the convenience of the centralised invoice service performed by Gemtime's administration team
• Are invited to take advantage of opportunities to produce particular customised product specifications for members from time to time.

Whilst there is strong support shown by members towards New Zealand based Preferred Suppliers (which constitute over 75 % of all current Preferred Suppliers), we have equally well established trading relationships with a relatively small set of overseas Preferred Suppliers - mostly of Australian origin.

Member Interaction
National conferences take place twice per year - typically:

Late May (*)

Late September/ early October

(*) The mid-year meeting takes place in conjunction with Gemtime's Annual General Meeting.

These Group Meetings are organised well in advance of the event (several months in fact), and apart from providing for typical business matters to be discussed in an open forum, guest speakers (industry practitioners, professional motivational speakers and commerce academics) deliver uplifting presentations, and informative workshops take place to increase members' knowledge in a particular area through hands-on demonstration/participation (e.g. e-mail operations, or website interaction).

In between national meetings, clusters of stores gather together on a regular basis in a regional meeting format. Quite often, this format gives members the opportunity to discuss and develop issues that are then later presented in national conferences. Current members consider that regional meetings are an excellent way of maintaining close communications with other members, and are a good platform for exchanging ideas.

Identification of Product for National Promotions
We assign products to specific national catalogue promotions according to the relative weighting and focus of our Company Product Positioning Objectives.

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Gemtime Member Benefits

• A Franchise arrangement which is backed by a defined credible brand
• A defined Franchise Territory
• Access to a human resource base which offers a wealth of knowledge, experience and support - both the membership and the administration team
• Professional and effective marketing initiatives - catalogue promotions (where member participation is on an elective basis), advertising in national magazines, in-store staff incentive programmes, etc
• Access to a well structured and all encompassing Staff Excellence Training Programme plus Manager Excellence Training Programme - developed and written internally to meet the needs of Gemtime members specifically 
• Participation in the AA Rewards Programme as a partner - access to a significant customer rewards programme population base
• Agent for Q Card and Farmers Card - convenient customer payment options
• Approved suppliers to Vero Insurance and Tower Insurance 
• A comprehensive on-line retail presence at www.gemtime.co.nz
• E-mail communications throughout the membership
• A Gemtime member-only 'Intranet' (On-line Business Menu) - ability to send group e-mail, update web site store details, add product into Jewellery Galleries, offer product for sale to other members, etc
• Central billing facility to process purchases made through Preferred Suppliers
• Two well organised and professionally executed national conferences per annum
• Access to professional consultants to upskill in management areas

• Click here to find out why Gemtime is the ideal business model for independently minded jewellery retailers.

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Who is Responsible for Doing What ?

Gemtime Head Office

• The administrative centre of Gemtime NZ Ltd, consisting of the Chief Executive Officer, a Product Administrator and an Accounts Administrator, provides the following services to Gemtime members:
• Provides a process for single cheque clearance of purchases from 'Preferred Suppliers' each month, saving members significant administrative time in their stores.
• Collates, and reports on member business performance pertaining to a range of trading parameters, including: the tracking of 'member turnover', 'members' purchases from preferred suppliers', 'product sales by main product categories', etc.
• Offers operational advice to members as/when requested
• Provides direct input into the preparation of an annual Marketing Plan, and prepares the Company Business Plan
• Plans and facilitates national conferences in different venues - executed twice per year
• Oversees the development and maintenance of the Gemtime web site - www.gemtime.co.nz and the Gemtime intranet
• Coordinates the activities of the 'Product Selection Committee' - facilitating the ordering and arrival of jewellery product that is selected to feature in any given catalogue

Marketing/ Promotional Activities

Gemtime New Zealand Limited has a well established and fine-tuned working relationship with a highly credible and innovative contracted marketing company, who have developed effective sales inducing promotions for Gemtime members for over 15 years. Comprehensive 'Promotion Review Reports' are published following each major promotion in order to identify overall sales, store-specific sales, sell-through and GP achievements.

A formal National Marketing Activity Schedule is produced each year, serving to define the strategy and range of marketing activity  for 12 months ahead, which is then agreed to by members prior to implementation.

Gemtime Directors

A Board of Directors is appointed by members to make most of the higher level operational decisions on their behalf. We operate a 'Buddy Member' programme, where directors contact each of their assigned Buddy Members prior to each scheduled Board meeting/ teleconference to invite input/ comments/ feedback/ suggestions from members - which are then tabled during the relevant Board meeting.

Gemtime Members

Members operate their respective stores in accordance with the provisions detailed within their Franchise Agreement and/ or Company Constitution. Members have developed an effective inter-member communication platform which means that timely information is exchanged between store owners (including requests for product and successful selling secrets) - either one-to-one, or in a regional group format.

Because the investment in Gemtime New Zealand Limited is the same for all members, all members have equal voting rights when occasions arise requiring members to confirm their preferred view on a relevant issue.

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Would You Like to Know More ?

If you are currently either an independent retail jeweller who would like to explore the option of becoming a Gemtime member in more depth, or you perhaps have in interest in establishing a brand new jewellery store and consider that the 'Gemtime' brand, livery and structure may provide a suitable business platform for your new venture, please feel encouraged to contact the Central Office of Gemtime New Zealand Limited via any of the following communication mediums...

Web Site
To complete our 'Customer Contact Form' please Click here

Email Gemtime
Send an email from this link: headoffice@gemtime.co.nz

Postal Address
Attn: Chief Executive Officer
Gemtime New Zealand Limited
P.O. Box 48 Napier
New Zealand

Phone/Fax Us
Phone : 64-(0)6-843-4337
Fax :    64-(0)6-835-0658

Upon receiving your enquiry we will make contact with you immediately. We are happy to provide answers to questions that don't present an impingement on commercial sensitivity.

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