BaubleBar

BaubleBar is an online jewelry retailer. The company was started by two Harvard Business School graduates and former investment bankers Amy Jain and Daniella Yacobovsky. It was founded in 2011 to serve the fashion jewelry market, which the company founders had identified as lacking a dedicated retailer that offered quality products at an affordable price point.

As of 2014, the BaubleBar website ships internationally to eight countries and collaborates with recognized brands such as Georgetown Cupcake and Anthropologie as well as celebrities such as Ashley Madekwe and Emma Roberts.

History

During their second year of business school, Jain and Yacobovsky started a beta version of the current website that was successful enough to secure a $1.1 million in seed financing from Accel Partners. In January 2011, the BaubleBar public site was launched and, after watching purchases increase by 23% each month, Greycroft Partners and Accel Partners invested an additional $4.5 million in Series A funding six months later.

BaubleBar has raised $15.6 million in equity financing to date. The Company most recently raised $10 million in Series B funding, in a round led by Burch Creative Capital, the investment firm headed by retail and fashion veteran Christopher Burch. In September 2014, the company partnered with actress Emma Roberts to design a collection of jewelry.

Business model

BaubleBar purchases its jewelry products at wholesale and sells it direct to consumers at a retail markup. In May 2013, it was estimated that 30% of its products are original designs while the remaining 70% could be found at other retail outlets. BaubleBar business model is to quickly identify and merchandise trending products using data from its website, thus capitalizing on popular styles before its competitors do. As a result, BaubleBar is able to plan its merchandising calendars as quickly as 4 to 12 weeks in advance of when products are available for sale. In 2013, BaubleBar launched a weddings line, offering a selection of fashion jewelry for brides, bridesmaids and women shopping accessories for big events. In addition to a collaboration with Anthroplogie in January 2014, Nordstrom and BaubleBar announced a partnership where BaubleBar's products will be also be sold in 35 of Nordstrom's top US retail locations in March 2014.

Reception

BaubleBar has been called the “future of retail” by Mashable. Its products have garnered media attention from fashion magazines such as Glamour, People StyleWatch, Cosmopolitan and others. The co-founders were featured in "30 under 30: America’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs of 2012" by Inc. Magazine.