NWJ Franchises

About NWJ:

NWJ is a national, franchisee- and customer-centric company offering a range of quality jewellery and watches at affordable prices. We have built up a  solid reputation on this basis. Starting out as a single store in Durban in 1983, NWJ is today one of the fastest growing retail jewellery chains in Southern Africa – a significant feat in tough economic times; just ask the economists.

Today NWJ has close to 70 stores nationwide, situated in all major centres and towns. They range in size from 36m2 to a king-size 125m2. We trade with highly competitive trading densities, which have been on a strong growth trend over the past number of years.

We have a wide range of prices to appeal to all budgets and tastes – we’re not elitist or overly niche-positioned; we want everyone to shop at NWJ. We also specialise in watches, both international and our stylish house brands.

NWJ guarantees investors the security of belonging to the JSE-listed, Luxe Holdings, with a proven operation model. With the introduction of the NWJ account card, we have a fast-growing base of credit customers.

NWJ has been voted “best place to buy jewellery” in the Daily News Readers’ Choice Survey for the past 13 years. We have our own manufacturing division where we craft nearly 50% of our jewellery. This means huge savings for our customers as  there are no middle-men and no mark-ups.

NWJ is the only jewellery retailer in SA offering a franchise opportunity. NWJ is a member of FASA (Franchise Association of SA), who have your interests at heart.

Owning a Store

Why a franchise over an independent start-up?

  • 96% of franchises succeed whereas 60% of independent start-ups fail
  • Franchising is the most successful method of distributing goods and services in economic history
  • It provides you with a proven, pre-tested template for running your own business successfully,
  • and allows you to predict profitability more accurately
  • You are never alone or unsupported in your business
  • You have the back-up of the enormous strategic planning, supply and purchasing power of your franchisor
  • You’ll be operating under a brand name people know (not …Sparkles & Shines Inc.)
  • You have the benefit of national marketing and advertising
  • You know exactly what your obligations are, and what those of your franchisor are
  • You enjoy the benefit of bulk purchasing
  • The highest quality control standards are already in place
  • The tax advantages of owning your own business are also very attractive, just ask SARS

Why an NWJ franchise?

As a franchisee, you’ll get lots of support from NWJ, including:

  • Comprehensive business plans
  • Financial applications and lease negotiations
  • A carefully selected site
  • Staff selection and training
  • POS system, back office and training
  • National marketing and advertising promotions and market research
  • Fixtures and fittings
  • Cash flows
  • Product training
  • Regular visits and support from your designated Field Manager as part of our National Operations Team

What’s the key to success?

How you run a highly successful business built on diamonds, metals and watches is really pretty simple: consistently offer your customers great value as well as a great in-store experience, in terms of:

  • The quality of the jewellery and watches on sale (leave that to us)
  • The pricing (leave that to us)
  • Payment terms (we offer various easy payment options including credit)
  • Having the perfect gift for every occasion
  • Giving helpful, friendly advice and information (this is very important)
  • Having a clean, tidy store with great ambience, in an attractive location

In short, you must offer your customers value through the total shopping experience.

different but interesting experience from our usual profession. The store was revamped in August 2013 and has experienced positive growth in sales, customer numbers and opening of accounts since the opening of the new look store.”

Start-up costs:

Before we talk money, this is important: if you are going to be an NWJ franchisee, you need to  buy into the brand and then ‘live’ it, on a daily basis. You will receive full training about what the NWJ brand stands for and how to consistently meet and exceed the customer’s expectations of NWJ. This is not only for our benefit – since you will be flying the flag for NWJ – but for your prospects as the franchisee. Your insight on the brand and your enthusiasm for it will help you have a growing franchise that delivers returns.

From a minimum investment of around R2,050m (including stock; excluding Vat.)

You can become part of the NWJ network. The investment depends on the size of the store; remember that we have stores ranging anywhere from 36m2 to 200m2. You can also start small and grow your store’s footprint later once it’s established, or start with one store with the aim of expanding to more in the future.

Stores for Sale

More and more, NWJ is becoming a franchisee-driven success story. If you’re ready to shine with your own NWJ store, we wish you the best of luck and look forward to growing your success with you. To find out about stores for sale please contact:

yashin@nwjcorp.com or  031 570 5000