| AMERICA’S COOLEST STORES CONTEST URL: americascooleststores.com FOUNDED: 2002 | BIG COOL ENTRIES: 52 | SMALL COOL ENTRIES: 56 | BIG COOL: 6 or more full-time employees | SMALL COOL: 5 or fewer full-time employees | CRITERIA: Story, exterior, interior, marketing, website, individuality | BIG COOL JUDGES: 5 | SMALL COOL JUDGES:5
| This year’s contest was the fifth time we have split the competition into two divisions: Big Cool for stores with 6 or more full-time employees; and Small Cool for stores with 5 or fewer. From a total of 108 entries, 10 finalists per category were selected by INSTORE’s editors. Panels of five industry-expert judges chose the top five stores in each division. Five Honorable Mention stores were chosen from each of the division’s finalists and will be featured as monthly Cool Stores in INSTORE through July 2013. Judges viewed the entries on a specially created website and rated stores on a scale of 0 to 100 in six categories: story, exterior appearance, interior appearance, advertising and marketing, online presence and overall individuality. Total scores were calculated weighting the categories according to importance: story 50 percent, exterior 75 percent, interior 100 percent, advertising 50 percent, online 25 percent and individuality 100 percent. Many thanks to our amazing judges and all those stores that took the time to enter! | |
2011 - First Place, Big Cool: The Tiny Jewel Box
- First Place, Small Cool: Max’s
- Second Place, Big Cool: M.C. Ginsberg: Objects of Art
- Second Place, Small Cool: Robert Goodman Jewelers
- Third Place, Small Cool: Elizabeth Blair Fine Pearls
- Third Place, Big Cool: Levinson Jewelers
- Fourth Place, Big Cool: Betteridge
- Fourth Place, Small Cool: Kas A Designs
- Fifth Place, Small Cool: Mahlia Collection
- Fifth Place, Big Cool: Hamilton Jewelers
2010 - First Place, Big Cool: O.C. Tanner
- First Place, Small Cool: Don Muller
- Second Place, Big Cool: Cornell’s Jewelers
- Second Place, Small Cool: Alara
- Third Place, Small Cool: Churchill
- Third Place, Big Cool: Lily & Co.
- Fourth Place, Big Cool: Jackie Abrahams
- Fourth Place, Small Cool: Goldworks
- Fifth Place, Small Cool: E.E. Robbins
- Fifth Place, Big Cool: Lee Michaels
Advertisement 2009 - First Place, Big Cool: London Jewelers
- First Place, Small Cool: Zoltan David
- Second Place, Big Cool: Hyde Park of Phoenix
- Second Place, Small Cool: Patronik Designs Jewelry Gallery
- Third Place, Big Cool: Ylang | 23
- Third Place, Small Cool: The Green Bull Fine Jewellery Couture
- Fourth Place, Big Cool: Diana Vincent Jewelers
- Fourth Place, Small Cool: Spexton
- Fifth Place, Big Cool: Manfredi Jewels
- Fifth Place, Small Cool: Dumont Estate Jewelery
2008 - First Place, Big Cool: Lee Read Jewelers
- First Place, Small Cool: Zachary’s Jewelers
- Second Place, Big Cool: B.C. Clark Jewelers
- Second Place, Small Cool: I. Gorman Jewelers
- Third Place, Big Cool: Tivol
- Third Place: Small Cool, Hamilton Hill International Designer Jewelry
- Fourth Place, Big Cool: JB Hudson Jewelers
- Fourth Place, Small Cool: Sami Fine Jewelry
- Fifth Place, Big Cool: Silverscape Designs
- Fifth Place, Small Cool: Kerry Catherine Jewelry
2007 - First Place: Traditional Jewelers
- Second Place: Warner Co. Jewelers
- Third Place: DeBoulle
- Fourth Place: Wesche Jewelers
- Fifth Place: Saxon’s Fine Jewelers
- Sixth Place: J. Green Jewelers
- Seventh Place (Tie): David Gardner’s Jewelers
- Seventh Place (Tie): Borsheims Fine Jewelry & Gifts
- Ninth Place: Tapper’s Diamonds & Fine Jewelry
- Tenth Place: Hamilton Jewelers
Advertisement 2006 - First Place: Underwood’s Fine Jewelers
- Second Place: Josephs Jewelers
- Third Place: Christopher’s Fine Jewelery
- Fourth Place: Kimball’s Jewelers
- Fifth Place: Long’s Jewelers
- Sixth Place: Gunderson’s Jewelers
- Seventh Place (Tie): Fox’s Gem Shop
- Seventh Place (Tie): Shreve & Co.
- Seventh Place (Tie): Simmons Fine Jewelry
- Tenth Place: Jewelry Design Center
2005 - AFirst Place: Bigham Jewelers
- Second Place: J.R. Dunn Jewelers
- Third Place: Schwarzschild Jewelers
- Fourth Place: I. Gorman Jewelers
- Fifth Place: Becky Beauchine Kulka
- Sixth Place: Hyde Park Jewelers
- Seventh Place (Tie): Murphy Jewelers
- Seventh Place (Tie): Harold Jaffe Jewelers
- Seventh Place (Tie): Eve J. Alfill?
- Tenth Place: Justice Jewelers
2004 - First Place: Wattsson & Wattsson Jewelers
- Second Place: Turgeon Raine Jewellers
- Third Place: Destin Jewelers
- Fourth Place (Tie): Gary Michaels
- Fourth Place (Tie): Samuel Getz
- Sixth Place: Kimberly & Co. Jewelers
- Seventh Place: The Crystal Shoppe
- Eighth Place: McMartin Jewelry
- Ninth Place (Tie): Ross Simons
- Ninth Place (Tie): Ylang-Ylang Fine Jewelry
Advertisement 2003 - First Place (Tie): Clodius & Co. and Push
- Second Place: Kokopelli
- Third Place: Diamonds n’ Dunes
- Finalist: Town and Country
- Finalist: Gemesis
- Finalist: Camden & Co.
- Finalist: Mark Loren Designs
- Finalist: Molina Fine Jewelry
- Finalist: Rafinity
2002 - First Place: Decatur City Jewelers
- Second Place: Continental Diamond
- Third Place: Wanna Buy A Watch?
- Finalist: Legend Jewelers
- Finalist: Mignon Faget
- Finalist: T. Foster & Co.
- Finalist: The Collector Fine Jewelry
- Finalist: Judith Ripka
- Finalist: The deBoulle Salon
- Finalist: Jared
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