Calendar for Jewelers: February 2016

Published

9 years ago

January 9, 2016

Here’s a devilish way to make sure you stick to your New Year’s Resolutions.

1 It’s f-f-f-freezing out there. Your nose turns blue in five minutes, everyone is cloaked in heavy black wool, and the sun slinks off at 4 p.m. All in all, it’s the perfect time to hold a Pacific Island-themed sales event to mark HULA IN THE COOLAH DAY. Turn the heat way up, tell your customers to come in their best flip flops, shades and Hawaiian shirts, mix up some Mai Tais and stick George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun” (do-doo do-doo) on the stereo. Say Aloha, baby — winter ain’t going to get you down.

This article originally appeared in the January 2016 edition of INSTORE.

2 Well, it’s Groundhog Day … again. If life in your store feels like you’re having the same day over, and over, do something about it. A few years back, Studio 2015 in Woodstock, IL, (where the movie was filmed) took a chance on a snow promotion: If it snowed 3 inches on Groundhog Day, customers would get their money back. Even Punxsutawney Phil couldn’t have predicted the blizzard that would follow: The insured store happily gave away over $60,000 in jewelry.

7 The 50th Super Bowl will kick off in Santa Clara, CA, today. How about holding a beer and pizza night in your store a day or two after the big game, to help your customers get over the the temporary loss of football in their lives?

UPCOMING EVENTS

Feb. 2-7 AGTA GemFair Tucson, Tucson, AZ

Feb. 5-8 IIJS Signature, Mumbai, India

Feb. 12-15 Inhorgenta Munich, Munich, Germany

Feb. 24-28 Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair, Bangkok, Thailand

Feb. 27-29 SJTA Atlanta Jewelry Show, Atlanta, GA

In Chinese astrology, the monkey represents honor, luck and riches. Expect all of these this year.

8 Bang a gong! The year of the Monkey is here, and if all goes according to the astrologically determined way of things, an auspicious 12 months awaits. The monkey represents honor, luck and riches. Put some coupons of various value in red envelopes in a fish bowl and invite customers to test their fortune.

14 One of the great things about Valentine’s Day, is that it gives us a chance (again) to highlight the fun approach taken by retailing maverick Moosejaw to the big red letter day. One year it offered to do the dirty work for its customers who didn’t have the courage to dump their girlfriends. Another, it uploaded an emergency love poem for its more verbally challenged customers, that started: Let’s change our names to Philip and Regina … Underscoring it all is a message that we’re here for you, even in a slightly perverse way. Does your V-Day marketing do that? If not, get some help here: americangemsociety.org/proposal

15 Red-carpet season reaches its peak this month with, first, the Grammys today, and then the Academy Awards on Feb. 28. It’s your chance to ride the tailored coattails of Hollywood’s most powerful brand ambassadors. As soon as the awards are done, hit your favorite fashion websites to find out who wore what. In your showcases, place a photo or two of your favorite stars wearing a piece from a designer you carry. Mention your discoveries in an email blast to customers.

29 On Leap Year Day, so goes the traditional belief, women can propose marriage to men. Make sure all eligible single women in your market are aware of this semi-state secret. Offer discounts to those leaplings who have the fortune or misfortune to have been born on this calendar anomaly. Get out your frog-oriented promotions and encourage those customers with wavering boyfriends to take a leap of faith.

S T O R E A N N I V E R S A R I E S

Prospecting is still in the blood of the owners of Miner’s Den.

45 Years: Miner’s Den Jewelers

Royal Oak, MI

➤ There are still the odd miners’ hats on display, along with huge rock samples, that point to the Schowalter family’s long love of prospecting, and its origins as a business that dealt in rocks – real rocks, as in big chunks of semi-precious amethyst and anything else they found on weekend trips to Michigan’s Copper Country or as far away as Canada. Today, the Miner’s Den is a much more traditional jeweler, and one of the Detroit area’s best known, with a large diamond area, big repair shop and custom jewelry service in a 7,000-foot space.

B I R T H S T O N E S

Amethyst

Like aluminum, mobile phones and air travel, what was once the preserve of the elite is now available to all when it comes to amethyst. The gemstone’s modern-day abundance, apart from making it almost cheaper than a soda can, means it is readily available in all sizes and shapes. Its strong points include its durability, which allows it to be worn every day. It is also the gemstone for the sixth wedding anniversary.

Looking for a Seamless Sale? Call Wilkerson

After almost 60 years in business, Breakiron Jewelers in Erie, Pennsylvania, was closing its doors. And the store’s owner, Linda Breakiron, was ready for it. She had run the store as its sole owner since the beginning of the millennium and was looking forward to a change. Of course, she called Wilkerson. Breakiron talked to other jewelers who had used Wilkerson and was satisfied with their response. “They always had positive feedback,” she recalls. With the sales, marketing and even additional inventory that Wilkerson provided, Breakiron insists she could never have accomplished her going-out-of-business sale without Wilkerson’s help. She’s now ready for the journey ahead, but looking back, she’d be sure to recommend Wilkerson. “They just made the whole process very seamless.”