Shadowing Practice: 15 Things You Didn't Know About PANDORA - Learn English Speaking with Video
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15 Things You Didn't Know About Pandora Welcome to Alux .com, the place where future billionaires come to get inspired.
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you you Hello Aluxers, it's time for some bling bling action.
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Today we have quite a charming topic for you that's both fun and full of interesting business -related facts.
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And who does charming better than jewelry giant Pandora, a brand that is known for its charm bracelets that,
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well, let's be honest, we've all seen or owned at some point.
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The company started in Denmark in the 1980s and was a family business for almost three decades.
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it's one of the big brands such as Tiffany.
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Although they are considered to be mid -priced products that appeal to the mass market, they now sell the franchise worldwide and is one of the most recognizable brands.
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Most importantly, the brand has had an interesting evolution from its big break
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in the US market to a sudden plunge in popularity years later and a strong comeback afterwards.
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If you are new here, welcome!
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Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Instagram @alux.
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We all know them, we've seen them and we may even wear them.
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So make yourself comfortable and let's get started.
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Number 1 Pandora became the third -largest company in terms of worldwide sales after Cartier & Tiffany.
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Per Involsyn is a Danish businessman who began importing items from Thailand, together with his then -wife, Winnie.
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Per established a company called Pandora in 1982 and only had a small shop in Copenhagen,
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but it wasn't until the year 2000 that things started really taking off.
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Eight years later, the company went public and went through an astounding growth afterwards.
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By 2010, it became the third largest jewelry company in the world in terms of sales,
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grossing millions of dollars every month and creating a Pandora Charms craze all over the world.
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was behind Cartier & Tiffany & Co, which are luxury brands with years and years of tradition.
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This year, Pandora was valued at $11 .9 billion, according to Forbes.
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Number 2: It grew in popularity after the recession.
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Don't be fooled by the numbers, it took many years before Pandora became more popular on the international market.
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In the US, it rose to prominence about a decade ago when the economy wasn't doing so great,
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but maybe people were thinking that jewelry was an investment, not a splurge.
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They changed their approach a little bit by offering more affordable items, such as the charm bracelets, which were viewed as an attractive alternative to the general public.
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pieces, Pandora was a great alternative because they're not crazy expensive so more people could buy them.
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And since their strategy is to have as many charms to the bracelet as possible, growing sales are almost guaranteed.
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According to Rob Bates, a news editor of JCK magazine, "Jewelers were desperate for anything and so a lot of them started selling Pandora,
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and that was the moment when the brand began expanding and opening stores everywhere.
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countries on six continents with over 7 ,700 points of sale in only 36 years.
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Number 3: Thailand was the big inspiration behind Pandora's story.
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The two Pandora co -founders found a lot of inspiration in Thailand.
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After a business trip in 1979, they became enamored by the craft and traditions of the jewelry culture there.
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So, the best course of action, they decided to open up a workshop in the capital to see what they could come up with.
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And here's why they did that.
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and increase production in a short period of time.
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Nowadays, they have more than 22 ,300 employees,
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and 13 ,200 of them work in their manufacturing site in Thailand, appropriately called Gemopolis.
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The factory is huge, but it does meet modern standards and employees are treated well.
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Number 4: Charm Bracelets Were Created By Two In -House Designers.
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The company sells many items, including necklaces, bracelets, and rings,
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but it's no secret that its charm bracelets are what makes Pandora… well, Pandora.
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Their design is perfect for both women and men.
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They have it in gold and silver, and there are hundreds of charms to choose from.
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Basically, there's no reason to hate the brand.
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traditional sense represent amulets that would bring good luck to wearers, but Pandora's concept bracelet came years later,
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so the original story has been forgotten in a way.
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In 1999, the company's first in -house designers, Luni Francine and Lisbeth Eno Larsen, were credited with the innovative design.
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The bracelet is made of silver, and you can attach different trinkets or charms to it, made out of beads, Murano glass, and other materials.
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and attach different charms that have different meanings.
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The charm bracelets represent 80 % of the company's total sales, which is a pretty impressive figure and a testament to their long -lasting appeal.
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But don't fret Aluxers, if you don't fancy charms like other people, there's all kinds of other jewelry to choose from.
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Number 5: The Most Expensive Charm Costs $800 is around $40.
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With this price, they managed to make the bracelet a perfect gift idea
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and very affordable too but they also have special items to mark different special occasions like Valentine's Day or Christmas.
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Take for example the most expensive charm so far called the Majestic Crown, which has a whopping $765 price tag.
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The item features 14k gold and a .108k diamond and has the appearance of a crown.
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Of course, the UK royal family served as an inspiration for it, as it was unveiled earlier this year,
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birth of the new royal baby and of course Meghan and Harry's wedding.
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With this appealing backstory in mind, the charm was sold out in the UK soon after it was revealed.
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We call this: Sneaky but good marketing.
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6. The company's shares fell by nearly 80 % in 2011.
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Despite its meteoric rise in 2008 before the recession, Pandora did have its share of trouble just a few years later.
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In 2011, shares dropped by almost 80 % and saw a steep decline in the US and UK, its biggest markets.
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It was considered to be a huge disaster for the company because it nearly drove them to bankruptcy.
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Chief Executive Michael Wendelin Olsen resigned soon after the incident without any comments.
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Their biggest mistake was they continued to increase their prices, which did not sit well with its core market.
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To be honest, Pandora charms and jewelry are popular and loved because they are affordable luxury, not luxury.
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It's not the same to have a Pandora bracelet or a Cartier bracelet.
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However, there is a happy end to this story since in 2014, they had a revenue of around $1 .8 billion and half a billion dollars in profit.
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more affordable options.
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Number 7.
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Pandora's founder lived a double life in Thailand Per Einvilsen is one of Denmark's richest men, who seemed to have everything.
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However, behind the scenes, he found in Thailand more than a business opportunity, to say the least.
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Einvilsen admitted to having multiple affairs in Thailand, which resulted in two daughters from two different women, one born in the 90s.
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No surprise there.
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He admitted this adultery to his wife, Winnie, with whom he had already had a son, Christian.
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actually stayed together until 2008.
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Even after their late divorce, he continues to live in Thailand, while Winnie, who gained 40 % of Pandora shares in the process,
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lives with their son in a small city close to Copenhagen and is one of the wealthiest women in Denmark.
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This should seriously be a movie.
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Number 8.
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Pandora has had a complicated relationship with retailers.
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The company had a very tough year in 2011, as we've mentioned before, however, it was not just about the money after all.
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It seems they made a lot of mistakes in dealing with investors, retailers and customers as well.
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Let's take a peek into Pandora's box.
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They charge UK stores 35 % more than other territories such as the US.
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They didn't tell their investors they had a serious drop in profits and their employers judge customers for buying $130 wedding rings.
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Should we go on?
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It's not so shiny inside the world of Pandora, but they manage to keep their appearances up, and with some strong endorsement deals and fun campaigns,
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it's all forgotten in a matter of seconds.
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At least, so it seems.
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Number 9: Ciara is their newest brand ambassador Most recently,
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Pandora has slightly shifted its marketing tactics to introduce more collaborations and high -end items.
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They're also trying to be a little more inclusive and niched by working with certain bloggers and celebrities.
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Their new brand ambassador is the 32 -year -old R &B singer and bombshell, Ciara.
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She represents the Radiant Shine, a new collection which features 18 karat gold -plated sterling silver pieces.
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references too.
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Ciara, who is now a mother of two and has a net worth of $16 million, has also collaborated to look fierce in the ad.
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She's sexy, she's dancing, she's singing, and she looks like a million bucks in gold -plated Pandora jewelry.
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The campaign also emphasized Ciara's role as a mom and daughter as she recommended Mother's Day gifts,
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but keep in mind that prices range from $20 to $220 or more depending on the country you live in.
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Number 10: Pandora's Co -Founders Are Among Denmark's Wealthiest People Although the company went public in 2008,
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its founders are still making a lot of money and are among the richest people in Denmark.
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He rarely shows his face and doesn't like to make a big fuss about himself, but that's why a lot of people don't know him or his story.
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The enigmatic Per Einvilsen
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and his son Christian were listed as having a joint net worth of $7 .2 billion back in 2014.
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with a net worth of $1 .4 billion, as CEO Magazine credits her with, which places her as the fifth wealthiest woman in Denmark.
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After everything they went through, personally and professionally, they're doing pretty well in the financial sector.
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However, these two are by far not the richest in the country.
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And since we've probably peaked some curiosity in you to find out who is the wealthiest person in Denmark, click in the top right corner to watch our video on the subject.
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Number 11: tastes now you It's no wonder that analysts might have a certain reticence when talking about Pandora's success,
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especially considering its past failures.
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For example, earlier in 2008, the company announced its strategy of growing their product offerings, such as making more earrings,
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necklaces, and rings, and expecting to increase the revenue between 7 and 10 % in the next 4 years.
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It sounds very bold and ambitious, but is it worth it?
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Are people going to buy the items?
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In 2018, investors lost their interest as the company's shares dropped by 35%.
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Most recently, the company blamed slow growth in the first six months of the year on a change in consumer behavior.
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Apparently, they prefer simpler looks with fewer charms on the bracelet, which slows down sales considerably.
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The Pandora bracelet's era might die very soon and the brand is prepared for the funeral and also for the relaunch.
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soon.
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Most of their jewelry is designed for women, but they also have male jewelry, but a common misconception about the brand is that their customers are mostly women.
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Well, the final customer is indeed probably mostly women, but actually men buy more Pandora jewelry from their online stores.
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Of course, most of them end up being gifts, but more men visit the website than women do.
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Now that we know that, we're curious to know if they advertise differently since sales messages than women do.
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Maybe men already know about Pandora from their girlfriends or mothers.
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13. Some charms have controversial names like Christ or Holy Grail.
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Every Pandora charm has a story and is fitted for a certain occasion.
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There are family charms, love charms, school related charms, animal charms, and everything you could ever think of.
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They sell over 800 different charms, some of which are limited editions.
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They do have some religious charms with crosses, angels or the bible, but also a few controversial ones.
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There's a charm called Christ, but it's not portraying Jesus Christ.
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In fact, the Christ charm has a 14 karat gold open heart
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and it's named like that because it was released only to Christ jewelers in Germany in limited edition.
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Another controversial charm is the Holy Grail charm that depicts a teal pearl dangle.
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was retired from the market due to production issues.
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Apparently, there were issues with the blue pearl drop losing its color.
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These two charms are rare and exclusive charms Pandora made along with other famous ones, like Australia Map or the Royal Denmark Church.
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Some of them can't even be bought anymore or if they are available, they're about $500 or more.
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14. They Launched a Line of Watches In 2010,
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they launched a line of Swiss watches in collaboration with Ronda called Black Crown Diamond.
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The collection consisted of five different watches, with no charms but with diamonds.
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Not actual diamonds, but a resistant surface made with sapphire crystal to make it last longer.
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There are three different categories of Pandora watches: Classic, Contemporary, and Fashion, all of which complement the elegant jewelry they offer.
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The watches retail for between £200 -760.
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Sadly, they aren't available anymore on the official website.
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15. Pandora's brand story is intentionally short and vague.
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Well, aside from the most recent Ciara collaboration, Pandora has generally emphasized their focus on the average, normal woman.
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Unlike Tiffany's, Swarovski and other similar brands, they don't have an extensive background story to tell you what the brand represents.
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Even the name Pandora has never been explained and we don't know why they chose it, what it means or if it has anything to do with the Greek name.
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On the contrary, they let clients decide what the company represents for them.
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This way, everyone can pitch into the story and be a part of the brand, or they simply went along with the mystery because it makes you wonder and be more interested in them.
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Well Aluxers, that's a wrap on Pandora.
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Taking all the bling aside and getting to know the story behind a brand is always kinda cool.
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In this case, Pandora lets you cast a meaning and story behind every charm.
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why you got it, and all the fun details about the charm.
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Life is made out of stories and through jewelry we can uncover those stories.
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But enough with the meanings, we're actually curious to know if you guys have any Pandora charms.
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Do you collect them or do you hate them?
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Let us know in the comment section below.
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And for sticking with us all the way to the end and being a true Aluxer, you know you get a bonus fact.
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Here it is.
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can't buy.
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Even the most hardcore charm bracelet fans cannot get their hands on Pandora's most elusive item.
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That's because the company has a secret charm that's only available to their employees.
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Yep, you only get one of these if you work with them.
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A pretty nice way to make their employees feel special.
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The item is more of a sentimental piece, which represents its two founders.
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A lion, a giraffe and a bee.
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The lion is meant to stand for pride and teamwork.
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The giraffe represents the company's performance and the bee which symbolizes their passion and dedication to their work.
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And there you have it, the company's values in one charm: Genius!
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recommend you watch next.
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Thank you for being an Aluxer and we'll see you back tomorrow!
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you you you
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “15 Things You Didn't Know About PANDORA”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: charm, Pandora, brand, bracelet, jewelry. This video has 179 sentences and 2568 words to shadow. The speech runs for 18:01. The speaker talks at a steady 143 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| charm noun | /t͡ʃɑɹm/ | An object, act or words believed to have magic power (usually carries a positive connotation). |
| bracelet noun | /ˈbɹeɪslət/ | A band or chain worn around the wrist as jewelry/jewellery or an ornament. |
| jewellery noun | /ˈd͡ʒʊ-/ | Collectively, personal ornamentation such as rings, necklaces, brooches and bracelets, made of precious metals and sometimes set with gemstones. |
| bling noun | /blɪŋ/ | An ostentatious display of richness or style. |
| investor noun | /ɪnˈvɛs.tə(ɹ)/ | A person who invests money in order to make a profit. |
| alux noun | A kind of sprite in the folklore of certain Maya peoples. | |
| carat noun | /ˈkæ.ɹət/ | A metric unit of mass equal to exactly 200 mg, chiefly used for measuring precious stones and pearls. |
| giraffe noun | /d͡ʒəˈɹæf/ | A ruminant in the genus Giraffa of the African savannah with long legs, a highly elongated neck, yellow fur patterned with dark spots typically in the form of… |
| jeweler noun | /ˈd͡ʒuːələ(ɹ)/ | A person whose job is making, repairing or selling jewelry. |
| emphasize verb | /ˈɛm.fə.saɪz/ | To stress, give emphasis or extra weight to (something). |
| retailer noun | /ˈɹiteɪlɚ/ | A retail sales company or salesman. |
| attach verb | /əˈtæt͡ʃ/ | To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively). |
| recession noun | /ɹɪˈsɛʃn̩/ | The act or an instance of receding or withdrawing. |
| necklace noun | /ˈnɛkləs/ | An article of jewelry that is worn around the neck, most often made of a string of precious metal, pearls, gems, beads or shells, and sometimes having a… |
| pearl noun | /pɝl/ | A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| make out of verb | To construct from; to create (something) using (a material or substance). |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| go along with verb | To acquiesce to or comply with a proposal, despite lacking a desire or value for it. |
| open up verb | To open. |
| slow down verb | To decelerate. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is known · are considered · was valued |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | we've seen · has been forgotten · we've mentioned |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | bracelets, which were · sales, which is · Crown, which has |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 26 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, they're, we've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: recession /ɹɪˈsɛʃn̩/, bombshell /ˈbɑmʃɛl/, misconception /ˌmɪs.kənˈsɛp.ʃən/, intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, ambitious /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/
- Long words — get the stress right: adultery /əˈdʌltəɹi/, enigmatic /ˌɛnɪɡˈmætɪk/, meteoric /ˌmiːtiˈɒɹɪk/, misconception /ˌmɪs.kənˈsɛp.ʃən/, collaborate /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹeɪt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like charm, bracelet, jewellery.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.