Jewelry Retailers Emerge From 2020 Battle-Scarred But Ready For The Future

IN 2020, WE heard from many of you about how you and your teams were suffering. You told us about how your states had closed you down, about how difficult it was to sell via “social distancing” or remote means, about the angry customers who walked out when you told them you were required to enforce mask-wearing regulations. Many of you told us about rioting and looting, and how your stores had been invaded by opportunistic criminals.

But the story of American jewelry retailers has always been one of perseverance and adaptation. And boy, did you ever persevere and adapt over the last 12 months!

In our lead story, “We Will Survive,” we’ve written about a select few jewelry retailers and their stories of survival and triumph in 2020. I hope you’ll see yourself in their stories, because we could have written books upon books about all the jewelers who faced down adversity and came out the other side. Worse for wear, probably. But also transformed for the better.

You may be wondering how to best manage your inventory in 2021. Should you buy aggressively, or remain cautious? Be sure to tune into a special editorial webinar I’m hosting on April 14 with The EDGE Academy president and co-founder David Brown. We’ll address your questions and get you on the right path for this year. (And if you miss the live webinar, you can always watch the replay on instoremag.com.)