LESS THAN 1 percent of jewelry store owners surveyed about COVID-19’s effects on their business say they are servicing clients as they normally would, but only about 22 percent have been completely shut down, according to the results of an INSTORE Brain Squad survey deployed on April 19. We received 221 responses in all.
About half surveyed say they are offering curbside pickup and/or appointment shopping. Some stores have continued to operate in gray areas. J. Craig Grant of M & M Jewelers in Owensboro, KY, is open by appointment, in-store with social distancing, and with curbside pickup, home delivery and e-commerce. “We are supposed to be closed, but no one is complaining.”
Trying to stay in business these days, though, can sometimes seem like an uphill battle and elicit unexpected reactions. “We are shut down with the exception of trying to coordinate delivery of existing repairs and layaways,” says Sydney Nusinov of Charles Nusinov & Sons in Parkville, MD. “But most customers don’t seem to be in any hurry to get their jewelry. We just did a $13,000 insurance replacement and I offered to deliver it and the woman practically yelled at me that she didn’t need it right now and she wasn’t going to risk going out or me bringing it to her.”
This is a story that’s quickly evolving, though. South Carolina allowed “non-essential” retail to reopen on April 22. Texas announced on Monday that retail stores, permitted to be open for curbside pickup this week, will be able to open for in-store customers by Friday.
Colorado, Mississippi, Tennessee and Montana have also taken steps to reopen retail. And more states have stay-at-home orders that are due to expire by Thursday.
A few other comments:
- “Can’t be open because there are fines and possible jail time if you are caught, along with possible civil liabilities if someone who visits your store or staff catches the virus. Not worth the risk.” — Ed Menk, E.L. Menk Jewelers, Brainerd, MN
- “I am now on a mandatory 14-day quarantine for being back from traveling and rescheduling all of my prior appointments. My business is mostly appointment-only.” — Dana Danford, Megagem, Anchorage, AK
- “Using our drive-through for gold buying and repair pickups.” — Bill Elliott Jewelers, Terre Haute, IN
- “We also have a service window.” — Annette Kinzie, Leonard Jewelry, Stillwater, OK
- “Zoom, Whatsapp, FB Messenger Live, Skype videos.” — Eika Godfrey, Hawthrone Jewelry, Kearney, NE