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Here’s How to Be ‘Full Service’ When Your Jewelry Store Is Small

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One of the major retail trends of the last 10 years has been the shrinking size of retail spaces as consumers show less interest in shopping in vast stores with the ambience of a warehouse.

For jewelers, who have always squeezed a lot of productivity out of small spaces, that trend hasn’t been such an issue.

What is interesting is that what they are doing with their space appears to be changing. Five years ago, 36 percent of small stores – those operating in less than 1,000 square feet – described themselves as full-service jewelers, meaning they provided everything from custom design and fabricating to repairs and case sales. Now, according to our latest Big Survey, 57 percent of the stores in that segment are offering all these services. It also suggests jewelers are cramming a lot into pretty tight conditions, especially if that “full service” includes 3D printing, casting and other manufacturing tasks.

2016 Small Store Identity data

Interior designer Ruth Mellergaard, a principal at interior design firm GRID/3 International, says that such a small space should be fine if “every inch” is being utilized effectively and product is being displayed in the newer walk-around or walk-up wallcase/showcase styles.

“Our mantra has changed in the past few years,” she says. “We used to say retail, retail, retail; squash your support space and expand your retail. No more, because jewelry retailing has changed — stock, custom, repairs are all important facets of jewelry retailing and need support space to perform properly. We keep pushing jewelers to display less product and turn it more often.”

Mellergaard recommends that if you do have such a small store you still dedicate at least a desk for custom work and possibly a small semi-private space for discreet or very high-end sales; install a work station or two on the floor so that all of the staff don’t huddle at the cash; have more than one POS area; and consider a repair center that is separate from the payment area.

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She also urges jewelers to examine where their strengths and weaknesses are and play to those, “which may mean replanning, rearranging and possibly replacing some fixtures.”

David Geller, author of the Geller Blue Book, says from what he’s witnessed at stores across the country, “more and more jewelers are getting by with custom and Cad/Cam” but are probably reluctant to acknowledge they offer less than a full range of services.

“I think most do not want to not be called a ‘full service’ jeweler,” he says.

 

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Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.

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Tips and How-To

Here’s How to Be ‘Full Service’ When Your Jewelry Store Is Small

mm

Published

on

One of the major retail trends of the last 10 years has been the shrinking size of retail spaces as consumers show less interest in shopping in vast stores with the ambience of a warehouse.

For jewelers, who have always squeezed a lot of productivity out of small spaces, that trend hasn’t been such an issue.

What is interesting is that what they are doing with their space appears to be changing. Five years ago, 36 percent of small stores – those operating in less than 1,000 square feet – described themselves as full-service jewelers, meaning they provided everything from custom design and fabricating to repairs and case sales. Now, according to our latest Big Survey, 57 percent of the stores in that segment are offering all these services. It also suggests jewelers are cramming a lot into pretty tight conditions, especially if that “full service” includes 3D printing, casting and other manufacturing tasks.

2016 Small Store Identity data

Interior designer Ruth Mellergaard, a principal at interior design firm GRID/3 International, says that such a small space should be fine if “every inch” is being utilized effectively and product is being displayed in the newer walk-around or walk-up wallcase/showcase styles.

“Our mantra has changed in the past few years,” she says. “We used to say retail, retail, retail; squash your support space and expand your retail. No more, because jewelry retailing has changed — stock, custom, repairs are all important facets of jewelry retailing and need support space to perform properly. We keep pushing jewelers to display less product and turn it more often.”

Mellergaard recommends that if you do have such a small store you still dedicate at least a desk for custom work and possibly a small semi-private space for discreet or very high-end sales; install a work station or two on the floor so that all of the staff don’t huddle at the cash; have more than one POS area; and consider a repair center that is separate from the payment area.

Advertisement

She also urges jewelers to examine where their strengths and weaknesses are and play to those, “which may mean replanning, rearranging and possibly replacing some fixtures.”

David Geller, author of the Geller Blue Book, says from what he’s witnessed at stores across the country, “more and more jewelers are getting by with custom and Cad/Cam” but are probably reluctant to acknowledge they offer less than a full range of services.

“I think most do not want to not be called a ‘full service’ jeweler,” he says.

 

Advertisement

SPONSORED VIDEO

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.

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