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INSTORE Readers Look Forward to Holidays

These were your letters from November.

Published

3 years ago

December 2, 2021

INSTORE Staff Instore December 2021 Issue

It’s so enjoyable to read the Big Survey. I especially like to pay attention to what is happening in bridal, which is a big department for many of us. It’s nice to see what other jewelers are experiencing. It’s encouraging to see that many jewelers are seeing growth, even through the pandemic! — Daniela Balzano, Water Street Jewelers, Guilford, CT
Record months for 16 straight months! Looking for December this year to double last year, and I think it will go on for a few more months next year before a slowdown. Then it will slow down until the 2022 elections. After that, who knows … life will go on, and we will make lemonade out of lemons! — Alan Perry, Perry’s Emporium, Wilmington, NC
Whoever said traditional advertising was dead and social is the new way isn’t doing it right. I’m running a schedule of TV commercials this year on the major networks during college football games on Saturdays. I’ve had way more engagement from these TV ads than I ever have running on Facebook or Instagram. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. — Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX
Our Christmas season started in September. Lots of early shoppers. Very consistent with last year. Good traffic this year and people are still buying. My wife and I ask for sales, and we have been getting them. Not too shabby. — Rick Nichols, Nassau Jewelry, Fernandina Beach, FL
Looking forward to the holidays like never before! Stock has been selling like crazy, so not quite sure what will be left by the time the holiday shoppers show up. October is usually a quiet month, but in the first two weeks we did as much business as any November, our second-best month of the year! — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
This is the first time in 40 years that the supply chain has impacted my business. It is forcing us to be creative and that is a positive! Lots of materials to use and redesign. — Susan Eisen, Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry & Watches, El Paso, TX
We are swamped with work, it’s very busy. Customers we haven’t seen in 20 years are returning to celebrate anniversaries! But no particular emphasis on holidays, Christmas or Hanukkah … surprising! — Eve J. Alfille, Eve J. Alfille Gallery and Studio, Evanston, IL
With supply side issues, rising prices, and commodity costs, it might be a good opportunity to hold the line on prices and not discount so much at retail. That current dynamic gives us a good talking point to explain the firm and fair prices to customers. They will understand. — Alex Weil, Martin’s Jewelry, Torrance, CA

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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.