Poundland has launched a selection of ‘engagement rings’ in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, with the tagline ‘because we promise they’ll want to choose their own’.
For the romantic gifting season the British high street chain has created a line of dummy engagement rings as an option for consumers to propose with, and then go into a jewellery store at a later date to choose the ‘real deal’ together,
The item, which has been branded by the retailer as the ‘bling ring’, comes in a red heart-shaped box, with the words: “Because we promise they’ll want to choose their own”, at the front of the packaging.
Talking to the Press Association, Poundland says the rings provide customers with the means of proposing “before they need to invest in the real rock”.
“These are beautiful placeholder rings because we know they’ll want to buy their own,” a spokesperson says. “We’re looking forward to the Poundland proposal becoming the way it’s done. Our bling ring is setting the scene for the real deal.”
This has sparked a debate on social media, with consumers being divided over the idea that the receiver might want to choose their own piece.
Many have argued that it’s about the commitment, not the piece of jewellery, but others have labelled it a “brilliant” idea.
The question still remains though, would someone be impressed with a Poundland ring being presented during one of life’s most special moments?
A quick look on social media shows the jury is out.
Some people like the idea of the Poundland ring as a placeholder, while others would rather be proposed with an alternative piece of jewellery or without a ring at all.
One thing’s for sure, consumers don’t need to go to Poundland to overcome this particular problem. Many of the UK’s leading jewellers are well equipped to help engagement ring shoppers out, and have several solutions for people wanting to propose without knowing exactly what their partner might want.
