Editor's Note

In Celebrating 20 Years of INSTORE, Our Readers, Advertisers and Team Deserve Credit

We’re all in this thing together.

Published

3 years ago

December 21, 2021

Trace Shelton Instore January 2022 Issue

I’m happily tongue-tied. Flabbergasted. Bursting with thought but at a loss for words.

This issue, we celebrate 20 years of INSTORE.

Can you believe it? It seems like only yesterday that we were a fledgling publication in a crowded field of giants, trying to carve out our own niche and convince advertisers that yes, our readers really did love us!

Many of you have shared with us how much INSTORE has meant to you. Well, you mean even more to us, because without the support you’ve shown to us and our advertisers, we wouldn’t still be here.

So, I want to take this opportunity to thank you, our readers, for sticking with us through thick and thin, for giving us your feedback, for sharing your best ideas and practices, and for putting your faith in our work. It means the absolute world to our entire team.

I also want to thank our advertisers. Many of you have trusted our publication to promote your businesses for over a decade. Our readers notice, and we notice. Your faith in us matters more than just dollars and cents — it feels like we’re all in this together.

Lastly, I want to thank our superlative team at INSTORE. We have visionary leadership, the most conscientious editors in the business, a sales team who “gets it” and loves our industry, and a design team that’s constantly pushing our visual approach to the cutting edge.

Congratulations on 20 years of INSTORE — to all of us!

Trace Shelton

Editor-in-Chief, INSTORE
trace@smartworkmedia.com

Five Smart Tips You’ll Find in This Issue

Offer $50 in store credit to any client who refers a new customer. (Manager’s To-Do, p. 22)
Get an independent appraisal of your inventory. (Manager’s To-Do, p. 22)
Upgrade your lighting to LED to provide better illumination of your inventory. (Cool Evolution, p. 40)
Close one extra day during the summer and fall to give staff time off to unwind. (David Geller, p. 59)
Have just one person greet each arriving customer with a smile, direct eye contact and verbiage that doesn’t sound “sales-y.” (Ask INSTORE, p. 62)

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.