In the land of big skies and big mountains, Doug Jones had a little problem. The location of his store. See how he solved it.
Dale’s Jewelry
Address: 1950 Channing Way, Idaho Falls, ID 83104
Phone: (208) 525-3361
URL: dalesjewelers.com
In the land of big skies and big mountains, Doug Jones had a little problem. The location of his store. With a long history in a small town in southeastern Idaho, Jones had a loyal local customer base, but felt he was missing out on a bigger opportunity: the thousands of shoppers who come each day from across Idaho (and neighboring states) to Idaho Falls, an increasingly important regional retail center. So Jones took a gamble, pulling up stakes and building a free-standing store in the heart of Idaho Falls’ shopping district. Did it pay off? Read on.
STORE INTERVIEW
How long have you been at this address? How did you find out about it?
We built the store 10 years ago. Our first store was located 25 miles south in a smaller town. The town had been extremely good to our family business but, the future of shopping was going regional and we felt a freestanding location closer to the “playing field” would be a good move. So after a few phone calls to some of the property owners near the regional mall and regional hospital (three blocks apart), the ball was in motion.
What would you say is the most unique feature of the store?
The most important feature would have to be our location. Traffic and exposure are perfect. The building is also very identifiable with the clock tower and pleasant architecture.
Describe the interior of the store.
The interior is open and bright. We have a lot of windows and high ceilings that add to the open feel. The colors are, for the most part, light. We have used Idaho Travertine marble for the inside of our showcases, with the exception of our colored stone department where we’ve used slate. Looks sharp and the customers love it.
Who did your design?
The late Kevin Skidmore of Skidmore Construction designed the building. We enjoyed the contractors — Dick, Kevin, Dave and Randy. We worked pretty closely with them. Looking back, though, I don’t know how we found the time to see the project through.
How much did it cost to build?
The cost of the building and the land was $400,000. But that was 10 years ago.
How do people usually react to the store?
People always react positively to the layout and feel of the store. We constantly receive compliments. This motivates us to continually try to improve and do things even better. As your readers know it truly is work that never ends. And hard work at that.
Do you think the store’s?appearance helps sales?
People want to shop in a nice atmosphere. When you care about the details, the message customers get is that the people in this company really care. The longer the customer stays in the store, the better chance you have of a sale. But the most important thing about our store is that by virtue of its design and location it provides us with a steady stream of new customers. Our mailing list grows and grows. People feel the difference in our store. Our store design fits southeast Idaho. It’s inviting to all and we try to accommodate everyone. Unlike mall and downtown stores, customers can see the sky, trees and bushes from anywhere in the store. I think that kind of openness has an effect.
What do you like most about the store? And least?
The thing that’s most frustrating about our store is storage. We’ve added products and services that have created the need for more room. I also hate the carpet. I’d like to add-on within three years, which means I’ll probably do it next year.
STORE IMAGES
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This story is from the November 2003 edition of INSTORE