Headlines

Blue Nile to Open First Store on the West Coast

Published

9 years ago

April 1, 2016

INSTORE Staff

Online retailer is eyeing the Pacific Northwest for its next Webroom.

Earlier this month, Blue Nile opened its first physical store – which the company calls a Webroom – outside of New York and entered the Washington, D.C. area. Now the online jewelry retailer is expanding its brick-and-mortar presence to the West Coast, saying it plans to open a Webroom in Portland, OR this summer, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. That would bring the company’s total store count to four. In February, Blue Nile said it was planning to open four new Webrooms this year, which means that we can expect at least one more store announcement before the year is over.

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.