Headlines

Chicago Jeweler Loses Entire Inventory in ‘Sophisticated’ Heist

Published

9 years ago

March 11, 2016

INSTORE Staff

“They took everything – 100 percent. I have nothing left to sell.”

After what police are calling a “sophisticated” heist, 78-year-old Tamaki Ogura was forced to close his jewelry store in a Chicago suburb, the Chicago Tribune reports. Speaking with the news outlet, Ogura said “the burglars made a hole in the roof of a neighboring doctor’s office, then made another hole through a common wall between the doctor’s office and his store and then cut holes in the back of two safes to steal the items.”

The store was apparently vulnerable at the time of the theft, as the report adds that Ogura broke his neck a few months before and often left a co-worker to man the fort; it was during this time that a few people came into the store to “investigate” the roof. “They took everything — 100 percent. I have nothing to sell,” he says.

Read more at the Chicago Tribune

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”