Hyde Park Jewelers, Phoenix, AZ
OWNERS: Steven Rosdal, CEO; Michael Pollak, President; ADDRESS: 2442 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016; PHONE: (602) 667-3541; URL: hydeparkjewelers.com; YEAR FOUNDED: 1976; 2004 REVENUES: Unspecified; OPENED FEATURED LOCATION: November 2003; LOCATION TYPE: Lifestyle center; ARCHITECT/DESIGN FIRM: Brand + Allen; TOTAL STORE AREA: 2,250 sq. ft; SALES STORE AREA: 2,250 sq. ft; TARGET CUSTOMER: Luxury customers and those who aspire to be…; SHOWCASES: White laminate; EMPLOYEES: 7; FLOOR: Carpeted, with granite at entranceway; WALLS: Rocky Mountain limestone; LAST REMODELING: Fall 2003; ADVERTISING SLOGAN: N/A; CEILINGS: Drywall — multi-leveled with light wells; PRIMARY COLORS: Combination of cool beige and sand colors Coolest store feature: Exterior water wall; SHOWCASES: 130 linear feet; FAVORITE CUSTOMER STORY: A favorite customer from Denver who moved to Phoenix, temporarily leaving the girl of his dreams. Thrilled to find the Phoenix store, he commissioned a ring in secret, and avoided the Colorado store when he was with her. Because of this, she thought the engagement wasn’t going to happen. Of course, he knocked her off her feet when he produced a sparkling Hyde Park ring.; LAND COST: Unspecified; BUILDING COST: Unspecified; INTERIOR BUILD-OUT COST: $400,000; DESIGN/ ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS COST: Unspecified; CURRENT ESTIMATED PROPERTY VALUE: Unspecified
WHATʼS IN A NAME? A wealth of brand equity. At least, that was the attitude taken by partners Steven Rosdal and Michael Pollak, who formed Hyde Park Jewelers 30 years ago. The two new owners wanted a name to fit the fine designer jewelry they offered customers. “Wanting a more elegant name than our combined names, we wrote 300 names on a piece of paper. After two days, we decided this one fit because of all its positive connotations. It has served us well,” states Pollak. At Hyde Park, customerʼs lifestyles are the focus — not price points. When the store first opened in 1976, Hyde Park
had two employees, and the most expensive piece of jewelry sold that first year cost $300. Today, the company prides itself on offering luxury at entry-level prices, encouraging people to cross the threshold and to grow with them. A broad range of customers are dazzled with the breadth of their merchandise, from self-purchase collections by David Yurman, to $50 Italian sterling silver money clips … from a $10,000 one-of-a-kind Denver Broncos porcelain chess set, to a $250,000 one-hundred carat diamond necklace. Hyde Park Jewelers serves both locals and tourists in three different communities, and in each one, the company has become synonymous with affordable luxury. High-end fashion-forward jewelry, diamonds, and over 20 brands of Swiss watches are featured. Jewelers and
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watchmakers are kept busy with custom work and repairs.
Additionally, Hyde Park has developed its own branded products like the Classica Cut diamond and bellaDOLCE, a line of jewelry inspired by and designed in Italy.
In 1999, the flagship store in Denver was consolidated from two locations into a new store in the upscale Cherry Creek Shopping Center. Another store was opened in Las Vegas, and most recently, a third location was opened in Phoenix. (The store reviewed by Instore’s Americaʼs Coolest Stores contest judges was the Phoenix branch.) All share certain elements of design, utilizing nearby Rocky Moun-tain limestone, stainless steel, wood and glass. At the same time, each store is distinctive, according to the city in which it operates. Cus-tom showcases in light maple wood, made by Interior Wood-works of Denver, are used in all three stores.
The latest, most brilliant jewel in the Hyde Park crown is the Phoenix store, set in a lifestyle mall adjacent to Saks Fifth Avenue. In Phoenix, the temperate climate encourages outside retail. The store sets itself apart through its exterior eight-foot high water wall. Water cascades over the rough-cut granite-stone wall of the store, acting as a focal point for customers. The surging waterfall provides a jeweled oasis of calm, in stark contrast to the raw, hot energy of the city. Inside the store, alternating rough and smooth limestone walls are complemented with sand and cool beige-colored detailing. Carpet throughout the store absorbs the sounds created by the hard limestone surfaces. Cones of high-voltage tungsten lighting suspended over the central island of showcases contribute to its sophistication. The 2,250 square-foot store also has a second-story office, workshop and administration area. “We pride ourselves on presenting elegance with no pretentiousness,” comments Pollak.
Sales technique at Hyde Park were developed and implemented through an extensive multi-year training plan conducted by a corporate training director, managers and assistant managers. Dress is smart and professional. “We look for passionate people who desire to be a part of the culture we have worked so hard to develop at Hyde Park Jewelers,” says Pollak. The partnersʼ generous commitment to over 50 community organizations, from the AMC Cancer Research to the Allied Jewish Federation of Denver and numerous other local events and charities, is central to this culture.
All three stores are electronically linked in real time through an intranet system, contributing to an up-to-the-minute sales analysis and replenishment program. To contribute to the creation of Hyde Park Jewelersʼ own brand, Rosdal and Pollak have abandoned all slogans in their advertising. Their new ad campaign concentrates on creating an environment of design — through the utilization of a world-famous Russian model. Says Pollak: “We felt that our DNA was being diluted by the way we portrayed the Hyde Park brand along with all of our branding partners. We hope this new campaign will correct the balance.”
Although partners Rosdal and Pollak no longer spend much time on the sales floor personally, theyʼve worked hard to develop rewarding customer relationships. And Pollak still has a soft spot in his heart for those customers who started shopping at the original Denver store when they were barely able to pay for an engagement ring. More than 20 years later, these same customers buy sparkling custom-made diamond jewelry in the six-figure range. “As a merchant, it is very reaffirming to have earned a clientʼs trust over 20 years. Now, their children are our customers.”
In their newest Phoenix store, Hyde Park Jewelers are working toward developing those same relationships in a sparkling contemporary setting.
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JUDGES’ COMMENTS
- Clean with just enough detailing support to keep it interesting. Nice lighting package with a combination of types but could have used a bit more to invade the space with pendants. Above average approach and project completion style. Nice coordination between the exterior and interior, completing the package.— Greg Gorman , GMG Design
- Not a huge store, but good use of space. Light colors give it a light and airy feel. Love the big front windows, don’t see that a lot in the United States. Gives lots of natural light and also gives good store frontage, once again not something that seem very popular in this country. High ceiling also adds to the spaciousness of the store.
- The curved showcase adds interest and texture to the store. The lighting fixture in the center of the store and the simplistic, minimalist lines also add to the spacious feel of the store.— Joe Romano , Scull & Company
- This store looks very attractive. There are too few pictures for me to get a complete sense of the space. The exterior with its architectural use of rectangles is interesting and seems to be echoed in the interior. I like the curves and use of warm colors. The hanging lights are reminiscent of a pendant necklace and add some interest to the space.— Linda Cahan , cahan & company
- This location (as well as the flagship store) boasts one of the most inviting and welcoming jewelry exterior store facades. The combination of glass, lighting and signage treatment is clever, modern and open. Blurring the line between the store exterior and interior space invites customers to peek into the space and glimpse the merchandise. From the inside, they can look out and vice versa. This helps to remove the mystery and intimidation factor that too often keeps customers from spontaneously entering jewelry venues. This is also true for the Hyde Park flagship store located within an upscale mall. These architects design from the outside in, with strong consideration for driving traffic into the store. The flagship location is cleverly open and inviting and doesn’t even have front doors.
- Combinations of materials from blonde wood cases to stone, natural color tones and texture through the carpet and walls seamlessly integrate to form a relaxed, contemporary and classy venue. Glass showcases with overhead lighting enable the customer to easily view and get close to the product, versus more traditional cases that have light bars and more obstructive featuring. The curved cases, drop ceiling shapes and casual feeling within the store is the continuous thread that can be traced throughout all of the Hyde Park venues.
- Among the many challenges of rolling out additional stores, once a flagship is created, is to clearly establish the visual and strategic linchpins of the brand that will serve to encourage brand recognition and clarify brand distinction throughout all venues. Hyde Park seems to have succeeded in carrying out their brand with a confident store design that alters to suit its larger community environment while maintaining its distinctive brand recognition.— Pam Levine , Levine Design Group
- What I liked most about this store was the outside. It’s striking. It grabs your attention. The signage reminds you of an old-time movie marquee, which is nostalgic. It says “this place has been here a long time”.— Ron Wattsson , ‘Cool Store’ Winner 2004
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