One in Three Jewelry Retailers Surveyed Say They Cross-Promote With Other Local Businesses

Question:

Do you work with other local businesses on co-promotions?

Yes: 36%

• It’s a good idea. My uncle once told me that your enemies don’t do business with you, only your friends. Referrals are an endorsement by a friend. — Murphy McMahon, Murphy McMahon & Co., Kalispell, MT
• We love to partner with food trucks, mobile boutiques, and other “odd partners.” It’s a great way to introduce new traffic to both and builds camaraderie with other business owners! — Jennifer Farnes, Revolution Jewelry Works, Colorado Springs, CO
• We feature local food companies at our trunk shows and cross-promote with a friend who designs couture bridal. — Betsy Barron, Love & Luxe, San Francisco, CA
• We do a Facebook trivia with a local restaurant as the gift. We split the cost of the gift card. — Sue Parker, Nyman Jewelers, Excanaba, MI
• We supply the bling for local fashion show events. — Steven Wardle, Forest Beach Design, Chatham, MA
• I always look to collaborate with other businesses to promote each other. Every time we do an event at the store, we use the same restaurant/caterer and we promote them in our ads. We get a discount and promote each other. I have a friend who owns a health spa in the area; we have partnered up doing events in each other’s place of business. It is good to take advantage of each other’s customer bases. — Michael Kanoff, Michael’s Jewelers, Yardley, PA
• We have a Business Merchants Association in town that works together to bring people into the town to shop. — Joe Caron, Caron’s Jewelry, Bristol, RI
• Hair salons and bridal stores and high-end car stores. — Alan Perry, Perry’s Emporium, Wilmington, NC
• We’ve had some good and some bad experiences with co-promotions. But, it’s like a third party endorsement and you hope to collect sales from their customers. At the very least collect data for new customers for future use. — Tim Bodis, Diamond Designs by Bodis, Rice Lake, WI
• We partnered with a local high-end nail salon and offered free nail art for our anniversary party. We also hosted a pop-up piercing event with a local tattoo parlor, that was so much fun! — Rachel Pfeiffer, Lane & Kate, Cincinnati, OH
• My store is on a main street in a college town. The town really does up December with “Miracle on Market Street,” so we all work together and cross-promote. — Susan Kauffman, Black Dog Jewelers, Lewisburg, PA
• Admittedly, it is becoming harder to do it because we are seeing less and less retail in our downtown. Those of us left feel strongly we need to stick together. A lot of effort is put into Small Business Saturday, and we are all seeing the benefit. — Andrew Russakoff, Russakoff Jewelers, Skowhegan, ME
• Wine tasting. Mutually beneficial and loosens inhibitions! — Kas Jacquot, Kas A Designs, Jefferson City, MO
• Sometimes, we do bride bags and include associated wedding vendors to supply gifts or discounts to be included with our bag. — Don Unwin, Sterling Jewelers, Wethersfield, CT
• I donate around 50 $100 gift cards to a local higher-end hair salon that they mail to their best clients as a holiday gift along with a letter from them endorsing my store. It helps bring clients in that may not normally shop with us. — Eric Stevens, Stevens Diamond Jewelers, West Springfield, MA
• There’s a lot of synergy with art dealers, auto dealerships, and other luxury goods. — Steven B. Goldfarb, Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler, Bellevue, WA
• We work with local restaurants and showcase their food and beverages while our customers shop. — Tom Duma, Thom Duma Fine Jewelers, Warren, OH
• Partnering up with our Chamber and downtown businesses to do a shop local event. Since I have a wine bar, I’m the last stop where they bring a raffle ticket that they received for every $10 spent. They enter their tickets in the big raffle that each store comes up with. What a fun way to kick off holiday shopping. — Karen Hollis, K. Hollis Jewelers, Batavia, IL

No: 64%

• Had a bad experience with our most acclaimed restaurant. I gave gift certificates for his place to our best customers; he gave our gift certificates to his key employees and family. Will try again with someone who gets it. — Bill Elliott, Ross Elliott Jewelers, Terre Haute, IN
• I probably should; seems like there is never enough time in the day. — Dwaine Ferguson, Goldsmith Silversmith Inc., Omaha, NE
• They are stupidly competitive and secretive. — Mark Rozanski, Goldart, Ottawa, ON
• Tried a few times with very modest results. — Stew Brandt, H. Brandt Jewelers, Natick, MA
• Have tried on many occasions and nothing seems to fit. Would be open to some suggestions though. — Joseph Delefano, Regency Jewelers, Rotterdam, NY
• I have found other stores take our email list and don’t reciprocate with good data. Also, our new laws prevent exchange of emails. Lastly, I am tired of being let down by other businesses expecting us to do all the work and they reap the benefits. If I found a company that would work with us, I am game to try. — David Blitt, Troy Shoppe Jewellers, Calgary, AB
• They haven’t worked in the past. — Joe Thacker, Thacker Jewelry, Lubbock, TX
• Haven’t found the right business to partner with. — Cathy Miller, Caleesi Designs Jewelers, Austin, TX
• I did it once and didn’t get the impression that they were as excited to promote me as I was them. — Josh Rider, Dylan Rings, Montgomery, AL
• it’s an organizational/time management thing for me. — Erika Godfrey, Hawthorne Jewelry, Kearney, NE
• Not many quality downtown businesses here, unfortunately. — Gregory Fliegauf, Fliegauf Jewelers, Washington, NJ
• We are always busy and have never been approached. — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
• We did try but found other businesses not interested. — James Sickinger, Sickinger’s Jewelry, Lowell, IN