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10 Things that Jewelers Who Had a Great Christmas Did

‘Keeping our best sellers in stock helped make our holiday sales soar.’

Published

7 years ago

January 1, 2019

Chris Burslem

10 Things that Jewelers Who Had a Great Christmas Did

The 2018 holiday season was a roller-coaster ride. Here, 10 jewelers identify the one thing that allowed them to end the season on a high.

1. Reordered quickly: “Keeping our best sellers in stock helped make our holiday sales soar.”— Karen Hollis, K. Hollis Jewelers, Batavia, IL

2. Focused on custom design: “Almost every customer wants custom tweaks done to their ring. Of course, there is and always will be a market for the less than $2,000 stock engagement ring that we must carry but almost anything above that price, clients want to custom order.” — Response provided anonymously via weblink.

3. Beefed up their e-commerce operation: “My online sales were phenomenal, more than double December last year.”— Janne Etz, Contemporary Concepts, Cocoa, FL

4. Stopped competing in categories where online sellers are strong: “Thank goodness we don’t rely on SKU’d inventory to stay in business. Internet sales have now taken away the bread-and-butter sterling silver sales.” — Beth Cevasco, Scott’s Custom Jewelers, Fairlawn, OH

5. Invested in social media advertising. “I only spent $50 tops on Facebook ads for Christmas and got a HUGE return on my investment.” — Response provided anonymously via weblink.

6. Stocked up on yellow gold: “We didn’t have enough selection in yellow gold. Yellow is back.” —– Connie Stagner, Acori Diamonds & Design, Friendswood, TX.

7. Stopped selling beads: “Finally, a Christmas without having to spend time selling Pandora. Profits and average sale way up. Investing in our staff training is and always will be our top priority.” — Scott Wickam, Goldsmith Gallery Jewelers, Billings, MT.

8. Went direct to “every door” with a mailer: “We did EDDM on a 16-page book we designed. Very pleased. Worth the dollars.” — Response provided anonymously via weblink.

9. Focused ad dollars on December: “We flip-flopped our marketing budget. Big bucks went into December, small bucks into November. Black Friday has become a non-event for us now.” — J. Dennis Petimezas, Watchmakers Diamonds & Jewelry, Johnstown, PA

10. Got personal: “Up 35 percent even though our neighbor was running a ‘70 percent off’ retirement sale. We went old school and handwrote a personalized greeting in our Christmas card. No TV, no radio, no print ads.” —Response provided anonymously via weblink.

Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson

When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren. For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish. "Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful." The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing." Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."