This story was originally published online on INSTOREMAG.COM in December 2017.
A FEW YEARS AGO, the team at Burnell’s Fine Jewelry and Design in Wichita, KS, had some fun with the theme of “25 Days of Christmas” on the store’s Facebook page. They used a new photo each day with a closed door and then added an open door with the photo of the jewelry as a December promotion.
Then, inspiration really struck.
They decided to create more shopping excitement inside the brick and mortar store by building a real door (to nowhere) with 12 compartments hidden behind it.
If customers spend more than $1,000 they are invited to open the door and pick a wrapped package from one of the cubbyholes. “It’s kind of like opening all of the advent calendar at once” says general manager Robin Lies.
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Customers are welcome to open their treasure while they’re in the store or to save it to give as a gift.
Each box is the same size and each package is numbered and coded so the salesperson doesn’t know what the customer picked until the code is revealed. Value ranges from $50 to more than $500.
Everyone involved was thrilled to receive something extra; some customers were motivated to spend more to qualify for door-opening privileges.
“It adds a great element of fun at Christmas,” says Lies. “We even had a customer compare it to going to the casino. People think it’s so wonderful, because it is a game.”
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.
