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Las Vegas Jewelry Show Garners Mixed Reviews from Exhibitors

Published

7 years ago

June 10, 2016

INSTORE Staff

Some manufacturers expected more traffic in their booths.

Anthony DeMarco, who covers the fine jewelry industry for Forbes, attended the recent JCK Luxury show in Las Vegas and spoke with a number of exhibitors, some of whom were upbeat while others voiced disappointment. He writes that “the current erratic and changing nature of the jewelry industry led to uncertainty going into Luxury (as well as the other trade shows in Las Vegas held during the first week of June) and resulted in the vacillating outcomes for exhibitors.”

He notes that even though crowds seemed lighter than in previous years, it appeared as though folks were still buying. However, he mentions that at least three established jewelry companies were upset with how the shows went, which have them considering alternatives for next year.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”