Big Survey

Big Survey: Jewelers Rank Their Top Pet Peeves

INSTORE unveils “The Grrrr Index”.

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2023

Chris Burslem

IF YOU WANT to see an independent jeweler in a bad mood, you could drop in and ask for a free ring sizing. Or perhaps request that he or she service the piece of jewelry you bought online, maybe even offer a compliment of sorts as you attempt to hand it over:

“I got this online but I trust only you to size it.” (Although don’t be surprised if he somehow takes it the wrong way).

Still, if you really want to see fireworks, open a jewelry manufacturing business, partner with her to build your brand in her local market, and then sell the same products, maybe even at a lower price, online.

Yes, vendors selling online was jewelers’ No. 1 pet peeve, according to the 2023 INSTORE Big Survey. 3. Sales reps dropping by unannounced, and referring to the jewelry trade as an “industry” rounded out the top 5 in our newly developed Grrrrr Index.

We should add that through our close dealings with independent jewelers over more than two decades, we know most of them are actually incorrigibly positive and hard to upset. Many welcome the challenge of trying to convert someone seeking a free sizing into a genuine customer. Some — much rarer — even welcome online competition. And we should state here that we as a news publication will continue to annoy some of our readers by referring to jewelry as an “industry”.

It’s just such a handy catch-all term! We can only hope you breathe deep and read on.

The 2023 Big Survey was conducted via an anonymous online form from late August to early October, attracting more than 750 responses from American jewelry-store owners and managers. The full results will be published in the November edition of INSTORE.

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.