Blue Nile Brings Retail Reimagined Concept to Seattle

SEATTLE, Sept. 06, 2016 -- Leading online jeweler Blue Nile (NASDAQ:NILE) announced today it will open a Webroom by Thanksgiving at Bellevue Square, just miles from the company’s Seattle headquarters. The Webroom will be the company’s fifth, 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.”

Unlike traditional jewelry stores, Webrooms are low-overhead installations that create a hybrid online/offline shopping experience and allow shoppers to try on an assortment of engagement rings, view more than 400 pieces of jewelry from every angle, and get pressure-free advice from non-commissioned consultants. In addition, shoppers can 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 at www.bluenile.com.

Blue Nile currently has a total of four Webrooms; at Washington Square mall in Portland, Oregon; Roosevelt Field mall in Long Island, New York; The Westchester mall, in White Plains, New York; and Tysons Corner Center mall in Fairfax County, Virginia.

About Blue Nile, Inc. (Nasdaq:NILE)
Blue Nile, Inc. is a leading online jeweler. The company offers a smarter way to buy engagement rings, wedding rings, and fine jewelry by providing in-depth educational materials and unique online tools that place consumers in control of the jewelry shopping process. Blue Nile has some of the highest quality standards in the industry and offers thousands of independently graded diamonds and fine jewelry at prices significantly below traditional retail. Blue Nile can be found online at www.bluenile.com. Blue Nile's shares are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under the symbol NILE.

For more information please contact:

Amanda Winters
Blue Nile, Inc.
206-336-6737
[email protected]