(Our November print issue includes a feature story detailing “10 Steps to Last-Minute Holiday Success.” Today we bring you an excerpt explaining one of those steps: creating useful window displays.)
The fabulous high-concept windows at Onyx II Fine Jewelers in Watertown, CT, helped the shop win Cool Store acclaim for 2016. The secret to creating compelling windows is to include elements that draw attention to your jewelry in ways that a showcase can’t.
Brand manager James Michael Murphy notes that while jewelry is beautiful, it’s far too small and detailed to attract people passing by in their cars. For 2015, the Onyx II “Yuletide Treasures”-themed window featured an electric fireplace, complete with an exterior speaker playing a crackling fire sound, plus beautiful trees in the shop’s theme colors and stockings overflowing with Onyx gift-wrapped goodies.
French’s Jewellery’s Laurelle Giesbrecht has always had an eye for display, and at the end of every day, she pauses to examine how the store looks. While display comes naturally to her, she knows that’s not always true of her staff.
So when she sees an area of her store that needs attention, she takes a “before” picture, spruces up the problem area, and then takes an “after” picture. She displays the photos on a board for her staff titled “This is how we do this.”
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Says Giesbrecht: “It’s worth a thousand words.”
LEFT: Exceptional framing and unusual colors mark Onyx displays.
RIGHT: A French’s display uses real evergreen trimmings.
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
