How Weather Affects Jewelry Stores (Hint: Snow Brings Seniors with Watch Batteries)

Heavy storms keep customers at home but also get them rushing over before and after. Sometimes the heavy rain helps us because we know that the people who make the trip out are serious about purchasing. They also get our undivided attention. — Betsy Barron, Love & Luxe, San Francisco, CA

• If there is a big snow, I can almost promise we will be dead for the majority of the day except for that “one guy” who always has the “Big Truck” and decides today is the day he’s buying “the ring.” As if he is a Spartan heading into battle, he has waited for the worst possible day to drive, but today is the day, and he will be “the man” and rise up to the occasion and battle the weather and prove his love to her by buying her “the ring.” — Travis Piper, Piper Diamond Co., Vincennes, IN
• Bad weather brings out old people with canes and walkers. — Jim Greenfield, Spritz Jewelers, Champaign, IL
• Anything falling from the sky is a business downer. If I use the windshield wipers on the way to the shop, it means I will get to spend the day at the workbench and get a lot accomplished. If it is very cold, it means I will have an influx of senior ladies who know it is a warm place to hangout, and if it is a fine spring day, the traffic will be brisk, people will see me outside working on the plantings around the shop and stop, usually with a sale as a result. — James Doggett, Doggett Jewelry, Kingston, NH
• I don’t think it matters at all. I remember when I started here 40-plus years ago, my uncle and dad would use weather as an excuse for bad business. If it was sunny, people were out working on their yards or at the beach; if it was crappy, who wanted to come out in the rain or snow? If someone needs to pick up their wedding bands or anniversary gift, they are coming regardless of weather. — Eric Ohanian, Leon Ohanian & Sons, Boston, MA
• We had 1.7 inches of snow from Dec. 1 to Jan. 18, then we got 18-plus inches in nine days, followed by 54 hours of polar vortex. We were supposed to work the vortex, my husband even put a new battery in the truck, but when he let the dogs out that morning, he came back in and said, “No way!” Most folks that can, leave Wisconsin from January to April. The diehards that stay here are not intimidated by weather. We even had folks point out that we were closed during the vortex! — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
• We call rainy days “diamond days.” We tend to be a little slower when the weather is nice and busier when the weather is not so nice. — Joel Wiland, J. David’s Jewelry, Broken Arrow, OK
• Rainy days seem to lose us customers … and so do really hot days. — Wadeana Beveridge, Community Jewelry, Brandon, FL
• After the dreary days of winter, our female customers come out when the sun begins to shine to make self-purchases. — Kristin Cornwell, Cornwell Jewelers, Athens, OH
• Snow on the way? The sky must be falling because we can see a constant stream of people rushing into the grocery store next door. After the threat of bad weather, people are ready to shop again and we are always busy! — Teri Vogan, Vogan Gold & Silver Works, Colorado Springs, CO
• Suddenly we had days of way-below zero temps. We had to close a couple of times, and then snowstorms! Hasn’t happened like this in a long time. It affected our sales from January into February! Tough to sell, but thanks to Facebook and Podium, we communicated with customers and made sales happen. — Julee Johnson, Julee’s Jewelry, Mankato, MN
• Can’t figure weather’s effect on our customers. Some days when I figure, “No one is going out in this $%#@,” they show up. I have no handle on this one. — Cliff Yankovich, Chimera Design, Lowell, MI
• If the sun is out in the winter, customers come in. I still have customers when the weather is not so good. Ice keeps them away. — Laura Pool, Laura’s Jewelry Designs, St. Robert, MO
• The snow kills business here. As soon as a storm is announced, everyone goes out to the supermarket — you know people MUST stock up on food and provisions lest they be stuck inside for a day. — Marc Altman, B & E Jewelers, Southampton, PA
• In the Pennsylvania area, snow means grocery, sunshine means outdoor planting, heat means pool, rain means we’re usually busy with repairs. — Judy Stanley, Skippack Jewelers, Harleysville, PA
• The most beautiful Florida days usually bring shoppers to more pleasurable pursuits than visiting their jeweler. Me too; I’d rather be at a beach, river, etc. — Robert Young, Robert Young Jeweler Extraordinaire, Belleair Bluffs, FL
• Snow makes people disappear, except when it’s close to Christmas. A few flakes are fine, but any chance it will accumulate, people turn into bears and hibernate until it’s over. — Gregory Fliegauf, Fliegauf Jewelers, Washington, NJ
• Snow in December (or even November) definitely gets people thinking about the holidays and wanting to start their Christmas shopping … though if we’ve seen a big snowfall, it usually dampens business because clients head to the mountains to ski! Actually, good weather often has an inverse relationship with our business: it seems counter-intuitive, but because we’re such an active and outdoor community, when it’s really nice outside, our clients go hiking, fishing, camping, skiing, biking or boating. That’s why most live here! — Jennifer Hornik Johnson, Miller’s Jewelry, Bozeman, MT