Commentary: The Business

Here’s Why Disrupting Your Store Layout May Be Exactly What It Needs

The best jewelry stores experiment to improve the shopper’s journey.

Published

1 year ago

January 10, 2024

Lyn M. Falk Instore January 2024 Issue

JEWELRY STORES ARE best known for their racetrack layouts around runs and islands of cases. The occasional tower display or recessed wall unit serves as a focal point to lure customers.

But today’s retail environments are changing to accommodate additional services and to provide experiential areas, and this disrupts the typical layout — a good thing! Jewelry retailers are adding lounge seating and consultation rooms for private conversations. Booth seating positioned along window walls and a beer/bubbly bar with stools also break up the usual long runs of cases. I love to see these experiential additions because they encourage customers to stay longer, allowing for the development of longer-term relationships.

Of course, these options assume there is space to create these experiences. And when there isn’t, more retailers are punching through walls to expand. It can feel magical to walk from one store into another (without leaving the building) and explore another department and/or service — like finding another little treasure.

Getting clever with a layout can also bring fun surprises to the shopper’s journey. Layouts that strategically locate focal points throughout the store encourage customers to move effortlessly throughout the entire space. In addition to towers or wall cases, I love to see a punctuation of tall floor sculptures or an interesting history timeline on the wall (but not just a simple series of framed photos and articles, please), an interactive flatscreen, or a suspended ceiling piece (light fixture, mobile). Jewelry is fashion that easily mingles with art and interior design, so anytime a jeweler can entice me with compatible fashionable elements, I’m jazzed.

Then there’s the question of transaction counters and sales associates’ desks. I don’t want to see “offices” on the selling floor, but when they’re designed to look like showcase cabinetry, then it somehow feels acceptable.

Some stores have staff floating the selling floor with iPads for all types of transactions. I like this mobile service, but I still need some sort of counter so I feel like it’s still a brick-and-mortar store, not a pop-up at the airport.

I’m always impressed by staff in branded apparel with name tags. It sets a standard for the store’s professional team, and certainly makes it easy to identify them. Ultimately, customers should never be confused as to where to go to get help.

So take a walk around your store. Does the layout still work? Is there a way to add interesting focal points and/or a seating area? Changing the layout can inspire staff and make your customers, like me, feel more engaged.

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.