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Readers Share Their Thoughts on the Upcoming Selling Season, a Dearth of Potential Employees and the Luxury Wedding Jewelry Experience

These were the letters to the editor in September.

Published

2 years ago

October 4, 2022

INSTORE Staff Instore October 2022 Issue

The August issue is right on target as the luxury wedding experience is a monumental happening! — Annette Kinzie, Leonard Jewelry, Stillwater, OK
The last few weeks we have seen more people selling jewelry. May be a sign of the times for those not so well off. — Gene Arthur, Arthur’s Jewelry, Reidsville, NC
We closed the shop for two weeks and drove away with three of our grandkids. — Erie Canal, Herkimer diamond mine, Niagara Falls, Lake Ontario, Cedar
Point Amusement Park, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Indiana Dunes National Seashore. What we saw was America is rockin’! Containers on trucks and trains and barges. People of every color and language out loving our beautiful country. If you listen to the news, it is dour. If you get out there and put 3,000 miles under your belt, you will see we are vibrant. — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
Your articles and comments from people like me are a nice break from the customer who complains about a $10 battery 🙂 — Tommy Thobe, The Village Gem, Perry Hall, MD
What is everyone’s opinion about permanent jewelry? Stuller is out of stock of the welders and we get multiple calls weekly. — Katie Poterala, MAKE MADE Jewelry, Greenville, SC
Finding employees these days is like winning the lottery. They want the job but not the work it requires. I must admit that I have given up on seeking any new employees for the foreseeable future. I am just putting in more time and getting it done right the first time. Sad face here. 🙁 — Bill Longnecker, Longnecker Jewelry, McCook, NE
In our market, James Allen has cut into our sales more than Blue Nile. Now that they’re both owned by Signet, it could get interesting. What’s the Chinese curse: May you live in interesting times? — Bill Elliott, Ross Elliott Jewelers, Terre Haute, IN
Fall: events, events and events. Told my staff last spring with the impending slowdown that store events will be the way to keep our numbers up. So far, it’s been true. Our “Grill & Chill” event in June was absolutely crazy good. I’m thinking about an actual auction in my store. — Tom R. Nelson, Nelson Jewelry, Spencer, MA

Share your thoughts with INSTORE. Email us at editor@instoremag.com

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!”