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INSTORE’s 110% Advantage … and More of Your Letters for December

We make it easy to gain sales and repeat customers? Thanks for saying so!

Published

14 years ago

December 7, 2010

INSTORE Staff Instore December 2010 Issue

110 Percent

Over the years that I have been receiving and reading INSTORE, I have gained 110 percent more knowledge about the industry because you make it plain and simple to follow the business guidelines and advice to gain sales and repeat customers that are true lifelong customers! — Pamela Hecht; Pamations, Calumet, MI

Poor Judgment

n your October issue I was enjoying the results of The Big Survey until a question on underrated things about being a jeweler. One of the reasons you list is “Looking down ladies’ tops as they lean over the counter.” Are you serious? I cannot believe you printed this. Jewelers are supposed to be professional, courteous and caring of our customer, not sexually harass them by trying to look down their tops. This is a very poor representation of what I thought your magazine wanted to stand for. — Phyllis Wenthe, via e-mail

End of the Rainbow

I put a rainbow sticker in my store window, which means we welcome gays. A customer picking up a battery for his watch, asked, very gruff and businesslike, “Who is responsible for the rainbow flag in window?” A bit hesitant, I said, “I am.” Well he said, “I just want to thank you. This will be the only store my partner and I will come to.” He is a recent transplant from a larger city. What a great compliment! — Beth Guntzviller; Miners North Jewelers, Traverse City, MI

3-D Logos

I was glad to see the column on how important the logo is as part of a jeweler’s brand image (What’s in a Logo? September 2010). However, one thing was forgotten: Print advertising is not the only medium that the logo will be used for. Too many logos are designed without the third dimension being considered.
Storefront and interior signage are important in emphasizing the brand image. Let’s think about everywhere the logo is used so there really is continuity. — Ruth Mellergaard; Grid/3 International, New York, NY

ERRATA:

The column Death by Discount on page 95 of our October issue should have included Darla Alvarez as co-contributor with Charles Neugebauer.
Alvarez is a goldsmith at The Gilded Artisan in Colorado Springs, CO. A credit for the Imperial earrings on page 44 in our October issue should have read: 10-11mm
Tahitian cultured pearl earrings in 14K white gold with diamond accents. MSRP $1,825; www.pearls.com, (800) 556-7738

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.