Here’s What Retailers Are Doing to Drive More Traffic This Holiday Season

THIS MONTH’S QUESTION: Do you have anything on tap to help spur holiday sales this year?

• We have seen that social media is branding, but our traditional marketing stays true through all the years. — Kenny Gordon, Kenny G & Company Fine Jewelers, Citrus Heights, CA
• Trying to add less expensive lines for add-ons. They also make conversation easier so we can connect to the customer. — Christine Matlack, E.G. Landis Jewelers, Boyertown, PA
• Yes — a couple of new lines as well as a series of in-store events in October and November. We should also have our new and much-improved website up and running by November 1st! — Jane Johnson, RM Johnson & Sons, Salem, VA
• Lab-grown diamonds. We are going to hit the social media market hard with that. — Michael Kanoff, Michael’s Jewelers, Yardley, PA
• We are really embracing internally flawless solitaires. Giving the customer the best because they deserve the BEST. — Brenda Hefner, Oz’s Jewelers, Hickory, NC
• Email ads to existing customers are working well. — Varsenne Massoyan, Massoyan Jewelers, Old Tappan, NJ
• We are thinking about doing a silicone men’s band giveaway (with our logo on them) with an engagement ring purchase. It will include a coupon to take a percentage off a wedding band(s) if they come back and shop with us again. — Jen Hollywood, J Hollywood Designs, Chester Springs, PA
• We are expanding from 1,200 square-feet into 4,000 with a luxurious remodel. We are adding three new designers to our showcases, hosting a huge celebration event, and increasing our sales floor technology to make our entire team mobile with our clients. — Jennifer Farnes, Revolution Jewelry Works, Colorado Springs, CO
• We are opening a new location in a new market 45 minutes down the road! — Nicole Shannon, Keir Fine Jewelry, Whistler, BC
• Doing a big five-digit restock with one company to refresh most of my case inventory in gold and some silver. — Craig C. Curtis, Belfast Jewelry, Belfast, ME
• I’m working on bundling/stacking options to attract more multiple-item sales. — Janne Etz, Contemporary Concepts, Cocoa, FL
• We host an annual Christmas event for our entire shopping center that is free to the public. This always spurs on locals to shop with us when they experience the live music, yummy treats and their kids get to meet Santa. We also have over $20,000 of giveaways, so the turnout is always large. This brings about customer loyalty in a way that is inspiring. — Morgan Bartel, Susann’s Custom Jewelers, Corpus Christi, TX
• Our gemstone roundtables are always great events in the spring and the fall. This year we are adding one in December. — Dianna Rae High, Dianna Rae Jewelry, Lafayette, LA
• We do, but if I told you, I’d have to kill you. — Jon Walp, Long Jewelers, Virginia Beach, VA
• We will do a catalog again this year, continue billboard promotions, and we are adding two new lines for Christmas — one in an entry level and one in a fine jewelry level. — Allison Leitzel-Williams, Leitzel’s Jewelry, Myerstown, PA
• We’re planning to invite our local high school to do an online auction/phone-a-thon with us to raise funds for their choral group’s trip to Carnegie Hall. — Jill Keith, Enchanted Jewelry, Danielson, CT
• This year we will do fewer “events.” We found ourselves exhausted and burnt out ten days before Christmas. — Steven B. Goldfarb, Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler, Bellevue, WA
• We will do our Black Friday Flash Sale and send out $250 coupons to our top 100, our newly engaged/married couples and to our Linnea Custom customers. That always brings them in. — Denise Oros, Linnea Jewelers, La Grange, IL
• We are moving our location later this fall. Moving from an older part of town to a booming part of town. New look, new store, same values. Moving just in time for the holiday season! — Christine Osborne, Christopher’s Fine Jewelry And Rare Coins, Des Moines, IA
• Really trying to focus our social media. Targeting and fencing. This is so difficult for me to judge effectiveness. — Gene Poole, Hudson-Poole Jewelers, Tuscaloosa, AL
• We’re doing a custom mailer featuring Gemsone product with custom, bridal and lab-grown pages added in. Featuring a digital version of the mailer as well on our site. — Robert Mullen, Mullen Bros. Jewelers, Swanswa, MA
• I think I’m going to try a guys’ night and do it off-site. I’m going to do it on a Thursday night so there will be football, I’ll offer nice cocktails, light bites, bring in some of my watch reps and pair up with a custom clothier. Who knows if it will work, but worth a shot. — Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX
• Using Jewelex’s Gift-with-Purchase campaign in early November … should hit well before big box and a great way to gauge enthusiam/interest. Hoping for great results … this is completely new to us. Will follow up with Jewelex’s digitial marketing campaign. It was a success last year and easy to use … thanks to Jewelex and Collected Concepts. — Erika Godfrey, Hawthorne Jewelry, Kearney, NE
• We’ll run more social media promotions and specials this year based on price point. — Beth Cevasco, Scott’s Custom Jewelers, Fairlawn, OH