IF ALL YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS is a sizzling, user-friendly online experience that jam-packs the latest industry news, advice and stories into one easy-to-read format, then you’re in luck!
The new Instoremag.com is now live, and if you haven’t given it a look yet, prepare to be instantly charmed. The fast-loading site makes browsing a breeze. You can scroll through the latest news, tips, videos and podcasts, human-interest stories, and product coverage with big headlines and images galore.
As excited as I am about our new website, I’m equally stoked about our fresh stable of podcasts. Kyle Bullock, a smooth-voiced fourth-generation retailer from Roswell, NM, presents “Over the Counter,” which tells the stories of inspirational and memorable jewelry sales. Jewelry journalist Barbara Palumbo interviews a variety of industry figures in “The Barb Wire”; it’s light-hearted, freewheeling talk radio for the jewelry industry. And group editorial director David Squires conducts in-depth conversations with top retailers in “Secrets of America’s Coolest Stores.” Search “INSTORE” in the Podcasts app on Apple or simply listen to the shows on instoremag.com.
And lest I forget, we’ve also come blasting out of the gates with several “INSTORE Live” webinars, featuring marketing experts like Andrea Hill and Shane O’Neill, top digital companies like Podium and respected organizations like Platinum Guild International.
That’s a lot of marvelous, unmissable information, and I haven’t even talked about this issue yet! Rest assured you’ll love our hilarious “Holiday True Tales” and feel uplifted by “Kids Quest,” the story of a young girl learning to love the jewelry industry.
Talk to you next year!
Trace Shelton
Editor-in-Chief, INSTORE
trace@smartworkmedia.com
Five Smart Tips You’ll Find in This Issue
- Create a custom visual standards manual (CVSM) to systematize the look and feel of your store. (Linda Cahan, page 51)
- Hold special VIP shopping hours for your social media fans one evening during the holidays. (Manager’s To-Do, page 24)
- Send your team members home whenever possible to avoid holiday fatigue. (Buzz Session, page 56)
- Ask all job candidates to take a personality and skills assessment before you interview them. (Ask INSTORE, page 54)
- On any piece with five to 20 gemstones, charge $28 to check, tighten and retighten within 12 months; $35 for 21 stones or more. (David Geller, page 52)
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.
