Headlines

JB Hudson Jewelers in Minneapolis to Close After 136 Years in Business

Its owner will open a new store under a different name.

Published

3 years ago

September 13, 2021

INSTORE Staff

JB Hudson Jewelers, which has operated in downtown Minneapolis for 136 years, will close its doors.

Its last day in business at the Nicollet Avenue site will be Dec. 31, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

But that’s not the end of the story for the store or its employees. Gunderson’s Jewelers will move the workers to a new location it’s opening in Wayzata. The new store will operate under the Gunderson’s name.

Reduced walk-in traffic due to the work-from-home policies adopted by many downtown companies was a factor in the closing, Breanne Demers, president of Gunderson’s, told the newspaper.

Gunderson’s acquired JB Hudson in March from the Pohlad Cos. Gunderson’s is a family-owned jewelry retailer that also operates stores in Sioux City, IA; Omaha, NE; Sioux Falls, SD; and Fargo, ND.

Gunderson’s plans to keep the JB Hudson name alive. It’s reportedly looking in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area for a site to relaunch the brand, and a downtown location is a possibility.

Read more at the Minneapolis Star Tribune

She Wanted to Spend More Time with Her Kids. She Called Wilkerson.

Your children are precious. More precious than gold? Absolutely! Just ask Lesley Ann Davis, owner of Lesley Ann Jewels, an independent jewelry store that — until the end of 2023 — had quite a following in Houston, Texas. To spend more time with her four sons, all in high school, she decided to close her store. Luckily, she was familiar with Wilkerson and called them as soon as she knew she wanted to move on to bigger, better and more family-focused things. Was she happy with her decision? Yes, she was. Says Davis, “Any owner looking to make that life change, looking to retire, looking to close, looking for a pause in their career, I would recommend Wilkerson. Hands down!”