THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES of store design trends are curated from articles about America’s Coolest Stores that were published in 2023 in INSTORE.
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1. Natural light: Soaking up the sunshine
When jewelry store owners move or expand their businesses, natural light often becomes a big priority. With more natural light, everyone’s mood improves. Before Craig Husar’s move, for example, to his standalone destination store in Brookfield, WI, his strip mall location had limited natural light. In his new location there is a tremendous amount of glass to let in natural light. “We are so aware of our environment now. It lifts your heart, lifts your spirits when you soak up sunshine,” Husar says. It elevates the mood when people are shopping.”
Tapper’s had a similar goal in moving away from a mall. Their newest store in Novi, MI, is the first that has natural light, with about 35 feet of glass in the front. They made sure the lighting component throughout the store didn’t fight with the natural light and that UV filtration was in place.
2. Luxe details: The HGTV effect
When Karina Brez, owner of Karina Brez Jewelry, built out her compact store on Palm Beach’s tony Worth Avenue, it was important to make the store beautiful to fit not only the location, but also to fit expectations in an era when everyone seems to be attuned to HGTV interior design shows. Her clients appreciate quality details, such as a chandelier she found on Pinterest made of geometric crystals. Other luxurious details include a gilded ceiling, specialty wallpaper and braided carpet. “You can’t just go buy metal cases and some fluorescent lamps,” Brez says. “It’s about creating an environment that’s comfortable, where people enjoy spending 30 minutes of their time.”
Karina Brez Jewelry in Palm Beach
Anna Zuckerman’s flagship store in Boca Raton, FL, incorporates chrome and gold finishes, black mirrored ceilings and crystal chandeliers designed to resemble blocks of quartz. Each showcase was built by hand. “To make the store stand out even more, we used a high gloss ceiling wrap that looks like a black mirror and reflects all the lighting in the store,” Zuckeman says. “It makes it look like a ballroom, elegant and sexy. It’s a posh look in a high-traffic, affluent area, but it is designed to appeal to everyone. “No one is not a customer.”
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3. The transparent shop: Let ‘em watch
When David and Ronnie Malkas first discovered their new spot for Malka Diamonds in Portland, OR, it was more or less a skeleton, Ronnie, says, leaving plenty of room for self-expression and imagination. The showroom is divided by a cube encased with a textured geometric tile wall, which houses a full jewelers’ shop. The cube has several windows through which to view the work within. “Everyone loves to watch; there’s a window for casting and a window for the bench.”
Malka Diamonds in Portland, OR
Bailey’s Jewelers in Cary, NC, recently became one of only a few stores in the country that has an in-house diamond cutter on-site, who loves talking to customers about what he’s doing. “Certain customers eat that stuff up,” says CEO Trey Bailey.
4. Creating intimacy: Comfort is key
No matter the size of the store, owners recognize the importance of intimate areas as key to forming relationships with clients. With their two-story, 10,000 square foot Novi, MI, store, Tapper’s included six customer lounges in the floorplan to create more of a boutique shopping experience while still having a wealth of inventory. “Everything is about access and ease to the customer, so they want to be at the store and have repeat visits.” Tapper says. “That’s really what the whole experience is about for us. Create a comfortable and inviting environment for our guests that allows sales associates to do what they do best.”
5. Sales staff desks: A common sense improvement
Store owners are beginning to recognize the importance of workspace for sales staff when they aren’t engaging with an in-store customer. Sales work has become increasingly digital and virtual. Having staff work areas encourages clienteling.
One of Elizabeth Gibson’s favorite features of the remodel of her store, Eliza Page in Austin, were built-in desks for staff. “Jewelry is a lot of account management, back and forth with vendors and clients, so we are giving our team members a private space to do that,” she says.
The concierge desk at Bailey’s Jewelers in Carey, NC
At Bailey’s Jewelers’ newest location in Cary, NC, every sales associate is welcome to work at their own desk, equipped with a computer, when they are between clients. A store concierge and greeter makes that possible. And a couple of sales associates are on the floor at all times, too. “It’s a unique system that our sales team loves,” says CEO Trey Bailey, “because if they’re not in front of a client they have a space to work on follow up and clienteling. They have a place to sit and think. You want to have time to contact people for proactive communication.”
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