Editor’s Note: Trace Shelton On Putting It All Together

Published

10 years ago

October 16, 2014

Trace Shelton

Last-minute efforts can tip the holiday sales scales.

BY TRACE SHELTON

Your store won’t have the “it factor” this holiday season unless you dot your Is and cross your Ts. By now, your inventory and marketing strategies should be in place, but taking care of all the little things is what will really put your fourth quarter results over the top.

That’s where our lead story comes in. This holiday “how-to” provides last-minute tips and advice on merchandising, events, human resources, digital marketing, display, and even maintaining your personal well-being during the biggest jewelry shopping season of the year. From choosing the right scent to connecting with top customers, from semi-custom gift ideas to social media pointers, this one’s got everything you need to fire on all cylinders over the next couple of months.

If that’s not enough to prepare you for the holidays — and really, can you ever be too prepared? — check out our “Prime Numbers” section on Thanksgiving weekend shopping trends, Shane Decker’s column on making holiday selling fun, “Ask INSTORE” on holiday signage advice, and “New Arrivals” on the ring styles you absolutely have to have in your showcases this December.

But none of these ideas means a thing by itself; you’ve got to put them into action. So take this knowledge and mix well with elbow grease. After all, only you and your team can make “it” happen. And when you do, “it” will begin to look a lot like (a profitable) Christmas!

This article originally appeared in the November 2014 edition of INSTORE.

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.”