Can someone explain Pandora to me?

[KaycePollard]

Every Christmas time, I see people in a long queue outside the Pandora shop. It's started again this year. What is the deal with Pandora? It looks like fairly bland mass-produced stuff to me, but it seems pricey for what it is. I'm fascinated to know what the attraction is?

Isn’t it kind of chippy to say it’s goady?

I’ve the links sweetie bracelet with 1 charm - still love it, although don’t wear jewellery that often.
Was sad when links closed - was quite surprising.

The word goady has been used waaay too many times on this thread.

I have no real opinion on Pandora (aside from the charm thing they specialise in is a clever way to guarantee a repeat customer) but I don't know why some people are so offended by the OP!

People who think Pandora are the epitome of class, I presume. Bless.

There was a thread just like this last year.

What is there to understand? In what way is how a shop works baffling?

I’ve never been inside a Pandora and can still grasp that presumably the company produces items that many people like, and so they are a popular Christmas gift.

@IGotHam

They limit the amount of people in the shop so a queue forms outside. Makes it look extra popular. Hollister also used to do this. I find it baffling too.

Ahhhhh that's sneaky

After Christmas there will be an even longer queue for returns

Shops like Pandora and Hollister had queues to look exclusive now it just reminds people of Covid

@Yingandyang

Shops like Pandora and Hollister had queues to look exclusive now it just reminds people of Covid

That's true!

Some awful people on here, some people like Pandora. That’s it. There’s need for you to ‘get it’ and certainly for you to look down on other people. It’s not your cup of tea? That’s fine. No need to be a dick about it.

I also wondered why I see queues. What are people queuing for?

@FreeBritnee

I also wondered why I see queues. What are people queuing for?

I thought it was because the beads are quite small so to stop everyone crowding round.

Ah okay. I have a charm bracelet so I have no opinion on those. It just seemed peculiar that people weren’t ordering online and preferred to queue. Perhaps they’re picking orders up?

It’s the queue that puzzled me, mostly. I don’t see such queues outside other similar jewellery shops. Pre the Apocalypse, that is.

Also the queues made me remember all the “shocked” fashion journalism about that shop in London, Voyage, where apparently they had a very exclusive policy of whom they let in … back in the 90s, I think?

Thanks to everyone for explaining the way Pandora works and the links to their business model. That’s really interesting and nice to see a brand name/chain with real ethics.

But the thread has made me really regret that I have a bad habit of losing jewellery. I lost my charm bracelet at a cousin’s wedding. One of my charms was the most wonderful sterling silver bicycle which had wheels and pedals which actually moved. My grandmother gave it to me when I learned to ride a bike - I think she must have had it made, because I’ve never seen anything like it since.

Also interesting is the insistence that different people like different things but also that I’m a snob for not liking mass produced jewellery.

I think that the business model is so amazing.

Would you pay 2,000 for a bracelet? No.

Would you pay 100 initially then add more and more charms over time totalling 2,000? Apparently yes!

I believe that it’s more the fact of how you described it than the fact that different people like different things. If you don’t want to give the impression that you’re a snob or goady, perhaps reflect on the language that you use? But to be fair your posts weren’t the worst!

I love my Nomination bracelet, much the same idea. Every Christmas I have a new bead that reminds me of the previous year. I have a rainbow for 2020, a musical note for 2018 when I started the piano, a breast cancer ribbon for 2015, letters for each of my children.
It is unique to me and I love it.
Only I am running out of space now and I do want to save some beads for when I have grandchildren.

It’s the queue that puzzled me, mostly. I don’t see such queues outside other similar jewellery shops
They artificially create it. SIL likes it and we had to queue up to get her a charm one Christmas. They were limiting customers to two inside at any time (years ago, nothing to do with covid) then making you walk round the whole shop rather than go to the bit you knew you wanted then making a massive palaver of fancy wrapping and really slow service that I think was meant to make it feel luxurious but was just utterly tedious.

@Goawayquickly

Brilliantly marketed pretty things. Designed to be collectable. Nice packaging, easy gifts that look special and appeal to lots of younger girls and women and to people that like nice things on a reasonable budget. It's very well done advertising, good for them!

There's nothing wrong with Pandora, people like it, they buy it. I've only been in the shop twice but saw a couple of bits I quite liked. Generally not my cuppa but neither are many popular things.

This. There’s no harm in it unless people are going into debt to buy a charm.

@Yingandyang

Shops like Pandora and Hollister had queues to look exclusive now it just reminds people of Covid

Ha yes! They may want to rethink that a bit. Who needs flashbacks to queuing to get into Sainsbury’s.

I was given a Pandora bracelet about 10 years ago as a gift for being a Bridesmaid. It was nice for a while as my DC were able to chose charms to buy me for birthday and Christmas. It was also at a time when they were really fashionable among my age group so it was nice to be "on trend" for one in my life.

But I have a beautiful bracelet that my DH bought me before we had the DC and I just love it so much and wear it every single day. It just looks so much nicer than my Pandora which is now languishing in the bottom of a drawer.

I agree, I don't understand the attraction but that said I have a pandora charm bracelet, it was a present which people have added to, bought me charms.
I'm basically walking around with a silver bracelet which has cost / is worth over £600.
I added the cost of the bracelet £100 and each charm is between £35 & £60 each, then the safety chain and the little spacers (balls on the joins?)
It's a lot of money for a charm bracelet that I wouldn't have chosen myself but each charm is relevant to me, bought by family members so I wear it every day.
Tbh I'd have preferred something more delicate, it's clunky and rattly 😉

@flashpaper

I live near a QVC store and every single day, not just at Christmas, people are queuing before 9am to get inside. It baffles me no end, the place is like a jumble sale IMO, but I put it down to people being different and wouldn't feel the need to write a thread about it...

I had no idea QVC had stores. I have a few bits of their jewellery including a lovely set of pearl earrings in different colours that has lasted about 15 years so far, they are lovely quality.

I don't know the attraction but whoever thought of it is genius. Sell a bracelet and then add mass produced pricey charms. Hey presto the customer has spent 100's or 1k on jewellery.
My OH had one but thankfully is satisfied with a few charms.
Personally I'd rather spend the money on something of better quality and not as mass produced.

I'm loving all the stories about charm bracelets - of any brand! Wish I hadn't lost mine ...