Weekly Dates and To-Dos

Weekly Dates and To-Dos: Feb 2-8 (Week 5 of 52)

Valentine’s Day prep ramps up —fire off gift-suggestion press releases, stock your showcases with romantic gifts under $200, and start getting spouses on the phone.

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38 seconds ago

January 31, 2026

INSTORE Staff

Weekly Dates and To-Dos: Feb 2-8 (Week 5 of 52)

IMAGE: GENERATED BY GOOGLE NANO BANANA

Feb 2 – Monday

MARKETING: Send press releases to local media outlets and influencers offering them a story with your “top 10 ideas for gifts” for Valentine’s Day. List three selections in the release as a teaser.

MARKETING: Look for a wedding expo or two that you can take part in. Such events are often a great way to pick up names and dates of those getting married so you can call on them throughout the year.

FEATURED DATE: Well, it’s Groundhog Day … AGAIN. If life in your store feels like you’re having the same day … over, and over … do something about it. Try a trunk show, get in a business coach, join the local chamber of commerce — anything that you may have previously viewed with skepticism. A few years back, Studio 2015 in Woodstock, IL, (where the movie was filmed) took a chance on a snow promotion: If it snowed 3 inches on Groundhog Day, customers would get their money back. Even Punxsutawney Phil couldn’t have predicted the blizzard — or excitement — that would follow: The insured store happily gave away more than $60,000 in jewelry.

MORE DATES: National Tater Tot Day, Candlemas Day, Play Your Ukulele Day.

Feb 3 – Tuesday

DISPLAY: Starting with your V-Day displays, keep a record of your cases from now on. Take a photo of each case the first of every month. With a history of it, you’ll know what Valentine’s Day 2026 looked like when it comes around to doing the display for 2027.

DISPLAY: Choose one piece you’d really like to move this V-Day and feature it in your showcases in a special way. “Making it stand out increases your chances of finding a buyer,” says display expert Larry Johnson.

MORE DATES: National Carrot Cake Day, National Golden Retriever Day, National Women Physicians Day, Feed the Birds Day, National Bubble Gum Day.

Feb 4 – Wednesday

DISPLAY: V-Day is a time for your lower-end stuff to shine, says Megan Crabtree, president of Crabtree Consulting. “Valentine’s Day is the main Hallmark holiday where the average spend has never been over $200 retail,” she notes, suggesting you prepare for the big day by setting up a showcase with items priced under $200 so as to simplify the buying for customers.

MERCHANDISING: Valentine cards are an easy prop option to bring some seasonal life to your cases. Much better than the drugstore variety are those drawn by a young child. Recruit your kids, your staff’s kids, anyone’s kids to create some Valentine’s Day cards on simple card stock. Put them in the showcases with a small sign identifying each young artist. “While you are at it, have them make a few tent cards with product info on your best V-day gift ideas,” says display expert Larry Johnson.

FEATURED DATE: World Cancer Day raises global awareness about cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. If you or your staff have a personal connection to cancer research or advocacy, this is an authentic day to support the cause. Otherwise, keep it low-key.

FEATURED DATE: Thank a Mail Carrier Day is the perfect excuse for a simple gesture of appreciation. A small gift or card for your actual mail carrier costs $10 and builds goodwill. Have staff post thanks on LinkedIn too.

MORE DATES: World Cancer Day, Thank a Mail Carrier Day, Rosa Parks Day, National Signing Day.

Feb 5 – Thursday

CRM: Want to be top of mind come dates like Valentine’s Day? Send a bouquet of flowers on the birthday and anniversary of every woman customer who has spent over $3,000 in the last two years. Start this week.

FEATURED DATE: World Nutella Day was started by a fan and is now officially organized by Ferrero. Have Nutella on hand in the break room, or better yet, have staff post on LinkedIn: “Happy World Nutella Day! Best place for Nutella crepes is @[LocalCafe]. Where do you get your fix?” Easy social engagement.

Feb 6 – Friday

TECHNOLOGY: Showcase popular Valentine items on your homepage, with a special emphasis on items that are exclusive to your store. You may even want to create a dedicated gallery that will show all your V-Day items on one page.

SALES: Announce your big spiff for the salesperson who sells the most “jewelry for friends” for Valentine’s. (Have appropriate “friend gifts” ready to show.)

FEATURED DATE: It’s National Wear Red Day, the first Friday in February, raising awareness about heart disease — the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S. This is a perfect fit for a jeweler. Partner with a clothing store to stage a Red Dress fashion show, join a community activity like the American Heart Association Heart Walk, or simply feature ruby jewelry prominently. From rubies to red gemstones, the options are limitless.

MORE DATES: National Frozen Yogurt Day, National Girls and Women in Sports Day, National Play Outside Day, Pay a Compliment Day.

Feb 7 – Saturday

MARKETING: Ask everyone — repair customers, browsers, friends — what his or her plans are for the Day of Love. Maybe there’s something happening you can be a part of.

ONLINE: Call a friend and tell them to go to your website and see how quickly they can find your business hours. Less than 10 seconds? Awesome. 20 seconds? OK, not bad, but could be better. 30 seconds or more? You should definitely make a change in your design to ensure this important information (and your contact details) are super-easy to find.

FEATURED DATE: National Send a Card to a Friend Day is a perfect reminder in our digital age. Have staff post on LinkedIn: “When’s the last time you sent a card to a friend? Not a text – an actual card. Challenge: do it today!” Nostalgic and relatable content that shows personality.

MORE DATES:Ballet Day, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, National Periodic Table Day (whether it’s Au, Ag, Pt or even Pd, use this opportunity to shout-out your favorite elements on social media), Rose Day.

Feb 8 – Sunday

E-MARKETING: Resend emails to all those customers who opened last week’s V-Day blast. They’re interested.

OPERATIONS: Less than a week to go until the big day. It’s time to turn that wish-list data into sales receipts. Email spouses and partners. Then get on the phone to follow up.

FEATURED DATE: Laugh and Get Rich Day reminds us that humor and success go hand in hand. Have staff post something funny on LinkedIn. Show personality. That’s the whole point.

MORE DATES: National Boy Scouts Day, Laugh and Get Rich Day, Opera Day, Kite Flying Day, Propose Day (Valentine’s Week).

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."