Transitioning Into Holiday: Inventory Health Check & Repricing for Black Friday in Jewelry

October isn’t just pumpkins and Halloween—it’s the quiet but critical month before retail’s biggest storm: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For jewelers, it’s the perfect time to stop, analyze, and act.

The jewelry business has unique holiday dynamics. Shoppers don’t just want “a deal”—they want sparkle, status, and sentiment. But the reality is this: you can’t wow customers or maximize margin if your inventory is bloated with slow sellers, or if your prices are static while the market shifts around you.

That’s why October should be your inventory health check month—the window where you clear the shelves of dead weight, plan your markdown ladders, and set smart repricing rules ahead of the holiday surge. It’s the difference between coasting into November with confidence or scrambling in the middle of a rush.

And here’s where your systems matter. A generic POS won’t cut it. You need jewelry ERP / POS software that supports rule-based repricing, tracks inventory aging, and flags products that are holding you back. Let’s break down how.

If you'd like to talk to our team about the Luxare POS or Back Office (ERP), book some time here.

Why October Is the Sweet Spot

According to the National Retail Federation, holiday shopping is starting earlier each year. Nearly half of U.S. consumers begin holiday gift shopping before November—and jewelry is one of the most gifted categories. That means waiting until Black Friday to “figure things out” is already too late.

October gives you breathing room to:

• Run a data-driven inventory audit before volume spikes.
• Identify slow-moving SKUs (last season’s designs, sizes, or styles that aren’t catching on).
• Decide which pieces deserve full-price pushes vs. markdown ladders.
• Build repricing rules so you don’t need to manually discount during the rush.
• Reclassify items for clearance or wholesale-to-retail conversions.

This prep ensures you’re selling the right items at the right price—not cluttering shelves or losing margins.

The Anatomy of an Inventory Health Check

Think of an inventory health check as a wellness exam for your business. You’re looking for strong performers, early warning signs, and silent drainers.

Here’s what to review:

1. Sell-Through Rates

Which products moved this year? Which are collecting dust? Any SKU with less than 20% sell-through by October deserves attention.

2. Aging Inventory

Diamonds, gold, and high-ticket watches tie up cash. If they’ve been sitting for 180+ days, you need a plan—discount, bundle, or reclassify.

3. Seasonal Fit

Ask: Does this SKU align with holiday gift-giving? Petite pendants, stackable rings, and watches do. Oversized or niche items may need aggressive markdowns.

4. Wholesale-to-Retail Opportunities

Many wholesalers carry “extra” or lower-velocity stock that could be moved through retail channels. October is the time to prep that transition.

5. Margin Analysis

Not all inventory contributes equally. A piece with healthy markup deserves spotlight. A low-margin item taking up shelf space may need bundling to move.

With Luxare’s ERP/POS, you can automate much of this analysis: filter by aging days, run sell-through reports, and flag SKUs underperforming vs. margin goals. Instead of gut feel, you’re acting on data.

Repricing: From Gut Reaction to Rules Engine

Holiday discounts are nothing new. But smart jewelers know: discounting without strategy kills profit.

Enter repricing. Done right, it’s rule-based, intentional, and staged.

How to Build Your Markdown Ladder

Think in terms of steps, not slashes:

1. October (Prep): Flag SKUs for markdown testing—apply 10–15% off slow movers.
2. Early November: Introduce bundle offers (“buy pendant, get chain 20% off”) to move accessories.
3. Black Friday / Cyber Monday: Deepest discounts (25–40%) applied only to aging or non-core inventory.
4. December Rollover: If pieces still linger, push them into clearance or outlet channels.

Markdown ladders ensure you capture value at each stage—without giving away margin too soon.

Why Rule-Based Repricing Matters

Manually discounting items during peak traffic is a nightmare. With rule-based repricing in your POS/ERP, you can:

• Apply discounts automatically when inventory age > 120 days.
• Tie markdowns to sell-through thresholds.
• Set holiday-specific rules (e.g., “20% off SKUs tagged as ‘Holiday Clearance’ starting Nov 25”).
• Ensure promos sync across online and in-store channels.

Luxare’s POS supports these kinds of rules so you can set them in October and let the system execute when the season hits.

Customer Psychology: Why Transparency Wins

Here’s something many jewelers forget: customers don’t just want low prices—they want clarity. If they feel like pricing is inconsistent, they lose trust.

A study by Deloitte found that 63% of shoppers cite clear pricing as a top driver of loyalty. In jewelry, where trust already matters more than in other categories, this is critical.

Your POS should:

• Show consistent markdowns across e-commerce and stores.
• Display “original vs sale” prices transparently.
• Trigger real-time updates so your staff never quotes an outdated price.

When your pricing feels polished, your brand feels trustworthy—even during discounts.

Avoiding Overstock Hangovers

One of the worst post-holiday outcomes? Sitting on piles of unsold inventory. It ties up cash, skews your assortment, and forces fire sales in Q1.

That’s why inventory clearance jewelry strategies need to be part of October’s plan. Consider:

• Flash clearance events in December to clear stubborn SKUs.
• Bundling slow movers with hot sellers (“free chain with diamond pendant”).
• Reclassify wholesale stock for holiday retail push.
• Gift-with-purchase promotions to move low-cost add-ons without slashing margin.

With Luxare’s ERP, you can tag items for clearance, automate pricing ladders, and report on clearance effectiveness. That’s data-backed clearance—not desperation.

October Checklist for Jewelers

Here’s a practical to-do list:

• Run aging inventory report (>90 days, >180 days).
• Flag slow movers (<20% sell-through).
• Set repricing rules in ERP/POS for markdown ladders.
• Segment SKUs: full-price push, bundled, clearance.
• Review wholesale inventory for retail conversion.
• Plan marketing cadence (early offers in Nov, deep discounts for Black Friday).
• Train staff on promos and clearance messaging.

By the time November 1 rolls in, you should have clarity: which pieces shine, which need a push, and which must go.

How Luxare Powers Holiday Prep

At Luxare by Diaspark, we know jewelers don’t just need generic POS tools—they need jewelry software built for holiday realities.

Here’s how Luxare supports you:

• Inventory aging alerts: Get notified when items cross thresholds.
• Rule-based repricing: Automate markdown ladders so you’re not scrambling mid-sale.
• Wholesale-to-retail workflows: Seamlessly move SKUs across channels.
• Margin protection: Block sales if a discount would push a SKU below minimum margin.
• Real-time omni updates: Sync prices across store, e-commerce, and POS terminals instantly.
• Clearance dashboards: Track sell-through effectiveness of markdowns.

In short: with Luxare, October prep isn’t guesswork—it’s strategy made simple.

Final Thoughts

Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t won in November. They’re won in October, when smart jewelers audit inventory, set repricing rules, and prepare their systems for seamless execution.

If you’re still relying on spreadsheets, gut feel, or last-minute markdowns, you’ll enter the holiday rush at a disadvantage. But if you use October as your inventory health check month—and equip yourself with modern jewelry ERP/POS tools—you’ll protect margins, clear shelves smartly, and maximize holiday revenue.

At Luxare, that’s exactly what we help jewelers do—prepare, automate, and succeed during retail’s busiest season.

Book a demo with our team today!