Blue Nile plans to open Webroom close to Seattle headquarters

Online jeweler Blue Nile plans to open its fifth Webroom a few miles away from its Seattle headquarters. The Webroom is expected to open by Thanksgiving at Bellevue Square.

The Webroom will function in creating an experience unlike any other in retail; central to Blue Nile's focus on meeting the consumer's demand for shopping on their own terms, whether it's online or in-person.

"We're excited to bring the Webroom experience to our hometown at Bellevue Square, which is an ideal place for new and existing customers to see, touch, and feel our engagement rings while still taking advantage of superior online selection and prices," said Blue Nile President, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer Harvey Kanter.

"At the Webroom, consumers can experience Blue Nile's easy, educational, and pressure-free advice in a physical setting, and the coolest part is that the engagement rings they choose will be handcrafted less than 15 miles away in our fulfillment center."

Blue Nile currently has a total of four Webrooms. Unlike traditional jewelry stores, Webrooms prove to be low-overhead installations while simultaneously creating a hybrid online/offline shopping experience, allowing shoppers to try on engagement rings, view more than 400 pieces of jewelry, and avail of advice from non-commissioned consultants. Shoppers can also access an online catalog of 150,000 independently-graded diamonds from in-store tablets. Blue Nile prices are up to 40 percent less than traditional jewelers. All transactions continue to happen online via in-store tablets or the customer can choose to order at a later time on their own smartphone, PC, or tablet, through Blue Nile's website.