Here’s a Cool Tip: Sell a Product With a Meaningful Local Theme

A pendant featuring Lake Poygan from The Goldsmith.

At The Goldsmith in Fond du Lac, WI, owner Ron Emanuel was inspired by his geography to design a lake-pendant keepsake. The store is located on Lake Winnebago, a popular fishing and boating area. Emanuel uses Google Earth to pinpoint the exact location of someone’s special spot on the lake and that’s where he sets a diamond or other gemstone. One customer asked Emanuel to design five pendants, giving them to her children living all over the world. “She thought it would give them the permanence of their home on the lake in a small but concrete way,” says co-owner Terri Emanuel.

The Goldsmith of Fond du Lac, WI, owned by Ron and Terri Emanuel, was featured as one of INSTORE’s America’s Coolest Stores in March 2016. See our full America’s Coolest Store archives at instoremag.com/coolstores.