Daily Jewelry Retail Tips from Jewelers of America

Tips in Action: Retailers Who Thrive

Increase Exposure and Sales with Cause Marketing
Jeweler Debbie Fox, co-owner, Fox Fine Jewelry, Ventura, CA, shows how

The news of job layoffs, housing foreclosures and the overall economic downturn dominate the media. But some jewelers have found a way to address those realities in a positive way. Jewelers of America-member store Fox Fine Jewelry in Ventura, CA, has led by example. Over the Valentine’s Day holiday, owner Debbie Fox assembled a group of 46 independent jewelers nationwide -- through Independent Jewelers Organization -- to give away 200 sterling-silver necklaces to people who lost their jobs or homes.

Tips In Action: Retailers Who Thrive

Keep The Holiday Spirit Alive With The Right Attitude
John Green, owner Lux Bond & Green, West Hartford, CT, show how

Connecting with customers and guiding them through their most important milestones is a way of life for Jewelers of America Chairman John Green, owner of Lux Bond & Green, West Hartford, CT. The retailer’s family tradition dates back to the store’s founding in 1898, and Green (a member of the family’s fourth generation in the business) has served as President and CEO since 1992. 

More than a century later, the company -- with eight locations -- still operates on its founding principles of caring for the well being of their staff (numbering over 150) and communities. Green says that attitude is critical in these challenging economic times -- when Christmas and Hanukkah provide motivation for people to purchase -- but maintaining that attitude may be more difficult than usual.

He shares his advice on guiding the business through the season to have positive returns into the New Year:

Tips In Action: Retailers Who Thrive

Use Good Merchandising
Fine jewelry store Tanishq, Paramus, NJ, shows how

 Tanishq is a wonderland situated in an unlikely setting: a mall. The Paramus, NJ-based fine jewelry store feels more like the kind of freestanding retailer you’d find in a wealthy neighborhood.  But regardless of location, “they” get it. 

The founders and owners, originally from India, are masters of merchandising.  Because they are not native Americans, they had no preconceived notion of what a jewelry store should look like in the United States.  Therefore, they’ve stepped outside the box and created an experience that is unlike most U.S. jewelry stores . . . in a good way.   

 

Tips In Action: Retailers Who Thrive

Keep Your Best Customers Close
Coleman Clark, president, B.C. Clark Jewelers, Oklahoma City, OK, shows how

This holiday season, B.C. Clark Jewelers is focusing on its top customers. Coleman Clark, president and great grandson of founder B.C. Clark, says that while local business has held up, the retailer can't afford to ignore the current economic challenges.

The Oklahoma City-based store, founded in 1892, has relied on personalized customer service and good product to get it through the good and bad times. The three-store independent is Oklahoma's oldest jewelry store and the oldest retail store in the state under the same name and ownership.

This season the store is thriving by nurturing relationships and building traffic in the following ways:

Tips In Action: Retailers Who Thrive

Create Positive Holiday Returns
Michael Pollak, CEO, Hyde Park Jewelers, Pheonix, AZ, shows how

Michael Pollak, CEO of Hyde Park Jewelers, is ready to thrive this holiday season. “We’re in the celebration business,” he says. Pollak adds that while it’s easy to get caught up in the negative news, retailers must resist. 

Pollack was in the Native American jewelry trade before opening Hyde Park with business partner Steven Rosdal in 1976. The business has grown from its first year, when the most expensive item sold cost $300, to today’s extensive range of $50 to $500,000. Today, Hyde Park is headquartered in Denver, CO, and has locations in Phoenix, AZ, and Las Vegas, NV.

Tips In Action: Retailers Who Thrive

Thrive Through Your Community
Jeweler Jeff Corey, president, Day's Jewelers, Waterville, ME, shows how

Jeff Corey, president of Day’s Jewelers in Waterville, ME, grew up working in his family’s jewelry store along with his six siblings. The business served a small town of 4,000 in Northern Maine.

“It wasn’t easy feeding nine mouths selling jewelry to people with very limited income. But, we did what we had to do because we had to eat,” he says.

It’s no surprise that even in the midst of a struggling economy, Corey -- who purchased Day’s in 1988 -- has a proactive approach to the holiday season. The small independent chain -- with six stores and 140 associates -- has used a creative commitment to its community to thrive.

Tips In Action: Retailers Who Thrive

Do Well By Doing Good
Jeweler John Hayes, Goodman’s Jewelers, Madison, WI, shows how

For Goodman’s Jewelers, which operates in the academic backyard of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, being a leader in the responsible business practices arena is crucial to success. In fact, it has helped the business to thrive (up 8 percent in the first quarter) in a tough economy.