Welcome to INSTORE’s annual engagement and wedding issue. This year, it’s all about new beginnings. 

One of the best things about being a jewelry retailer is sharing in the hope, joy and commitment of happy couples — because an engagement ring wraps all of those beautiful qualities into a tangible and eternal package of the most precious materials known to man. And you get to deliver it.

That’s why, each year, we pack this special issue with the top new products, success stories, tips and advice in the engagement and wedding category that we can find. By doing so, we hope to provide you with fresh thoughts about what to offer incoming shoppers and how to approach the sales presentation. In effect, a new beginning of your own.

Speaking of new beginnings, this issue also marks my first as the new editor-in-chief of INSTORE, and I couldn’t be more excited about taking the reins (although I am a bit nervous to follow in the footsteps of David Squires, the man who invented INSTORE, and who is still very much with us as group editorial director). 

From my early days as an advertising professional back in the late 1990s, I’ve worked with independent jewelry retailers and have always admired your entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to try new ideas. That’s also what drew me to INSTORE (my first story appeared way back in the December 2003 issue), and that’s why I’m super-pumped to be back on the magazine full-time.

Our goals haven’t changed: We still aim to deliver the most incisive business advice in the industry while also telling your stories, because it’s through those stories that we can all celebrate what it means to be a jeweler. 

Happy to be on board, and hope you enjoy the issue!

Trace Shelton
Editor-in-Chief, INSTORE

trace@smartworkmedia.com