Editor's Note

As A Strange Year Comes To A Close, What Will Holiday Sales Be Like?

There are new strategies to help drive sales.

Published

4 years ago

December 13, 2020

Trace Shelton Instore December 2020 Issue

CAN YOU SPREAD holiday cheer from behind a mask? Will clients buy gifts from you via video conferencing or e-commerce? Will social distancing behaviors reduce foot traffic? Heck, are you even comfortable with a lot of foot traffic, from a health perspective?

We all know this is a weird year, but no one — not store owners, not consumers — really knows how they’ll buy and sell to close out 2020. The silver lining is that we’ve all had nine months to get used to the new rules of social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, which would seem to bode well for holiday shopping. And the INSTORE Jewelers Confidence Index continues to do fairly well (see page 54), so jewelry stores’ sales have been strong, despite a troubling economy and a contentious election season.

I hope you’ve been able to shift your own strategies to keep pace with the challenges caused by the coronavirus. During this odd season, a video call can seem even more personal than an in-person appointment, as Shane Decker points out in this month’s column (page 48). Many of you have also changed how you’ll drive sales this year (see “Buzz Session” on page 54).

However you approach this season, I hope Dec. 25 sees you celebrating another successful year in business … or at least relaxing with relief that it’s over without too much distress.

Best wishes for a happy holiday, and we look forward to hearing from you in the new year!

Trace Shelton

Editor-in-Chief, INSTORE
trace@smartworkmedia.com

Five Smart Tips You’ll Find in This Issue

Hire a greeter during the holiday season to help people transition from outside to inside and become comfortable in their surroundings. (Manager’s To-Do, p. 28)
Resend your “Holiday Gift Guide” via email to potential customers one week before Christmas. (Manager’s To-Do, p. 28)
Contact your favorite charity to see if you can produce a customized jewelry piece for them to raise funds. (Tip Sheet, p. 44)
When conducting a video conference sale, be sure to have add-on items ready to suggest. (Shane Decker, p. 48)
Use light greens, yellows and pale blues in your marketing to communicate tranquility during this stressful time. (Andrea Hill, p. 53)

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.