{igallery id=7769|cid=612|pid=6|type=category|children=0|showmenu=0|tags=|limit=0}FIVE COOL THINGS1. THE HIVE MIND – Idar’s bee logo shows up everywhere in the store’s marketing — on its packaging, pens, and pencils, the chocolates they give customers, and even on the employees themselves. Years ago, Lara Bergseth and Lance Glenn got bee tattoos. They also give free bee pins to customers. “Lance wears one all the time,” Lara says. “People see it and say, ‘Oh, I love that store!’ and he’ll take it off and give it to them.” The store also gives gifts of honey from Idar Bergseth’s own bees. 2. A COSMOPOLITAN SENSIBILITY – Between the store and workshop, Idar is like a miniature United Nations, with one employee from Norway, one from Japan, one from South Africa, one from Mexico and the rest from Canada. 3. OLD SCHOOL – “Everything we carry is made here,” Lara says. “And mostly it’s hand-forged, handmade, not even cast. We’re talking cold forged, which is a dying art. It’s neat.” That gives Idar’s jewelry a desirably unique look. “It’s hard, though, to find goldsmiths who handmake jewelry!” 4. LESS IS MORE – At 250 square feet, the showroom is “as big as it’s ever been,” says Lara, who once worked in the larger jewelry section of a local department store. The smaller space is easy to keep orderly and secure. “It works! I find it easy. You can get to everything; I know where everything is. That being said, the building itself is 3,000 square feet, so the showroom is deceptively small.” 5. ANIMALS – Idar is home to a small zoo. There are two dogs: Jock, a rescue pit bull, and Sammie, a French bulldog. (“He’s really disgusting,” Lara jokes.) They’re joined by four cats and whatever pets happen to be visiting with their owners at any given time. And then there are the bees Idar keeps on the roof. “That’s just a fun thing for him. It’s a little precarious to take customers up there.” WHAT THE JUDGES SAYLarry Johnson: I like the way the store design connects the merchandise with the owner’s creativity and the local environment. It all seems to meld into a single brand that obviously strikes a chord with the local clientele. Ellen Hertz: Idar knows who he is and what he stands for — I love that! I also love the fact that he is making virtually everything by hand — that is rare and special, and a good (read: repeat) customer will appreciate and understand the value in that. Generating significant revenue from a 250-square-foot space speaks to the quality of his work — both in terms of design and craftsmanship. Maeve Gillies: This store makes me want to visit and claim my own logo bee pin and a pot of homemade honey! The interior, concept and story is progressive, tasteful and refined. Every touch-point of presentation and product has a sense of heritage, quality and social consciousness. Jim Ackerman: The interior of the store demonstrates an exceptional use of a very small showroom. The lightness and openness, along with the modern, clean lines, makes the space feel bigger and comfortable. The bee theme is intriguing, and the customer service approach is beyond reproach. Stephanie Maxey: I loved the bee insignia from the sidewalk to the wrapping materials and how it evolved. The exterior appeal of the store is storybook, while the interior is modern and a little mischievous. What I appreciated is that Idar is in love with his craft and is exceptional at it. He’s had little employee turnover, which says it all. Family lunching concept? I dare say Idar is cool. |
Josh WImmer has been a contributor to INSTORE since 2006. He has coordinated the annual America's Coolest Stores contest for several years. The job mostly involves pestering jewelry store owners to start their contest entries, pestering jewelry store owners to finish their contest entries, and figuring out computer problems over the phone from hundreds of miles away.
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