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Readers Share Their Thoughts on the Upcoming Selling Season, a Dearth of Potential Employees and the Luxury Wedding Jewelry Experience

These were the letters to the editor in September.

Published

1 year ago

October 4, 2022

INSTORE Staff Instore October 2022 Issue

The August issue is right on target as the luxury wedding experience is a monumental happening! — Annette Kinzie, Leonard Jewelry, Stillwater, OK
The last few weeks we have seen more people selling jewelry. May be a sign of the times for those not so well off. — Gene Arthur, Arthur’s Jewelry, Reidsville, NC
We closed the shop for two weeks and drove away with three of our grandkids. — Erie Canal, Herkimer diamond mine, Niagara Falls, Lake Ontario, Cedar
Point Amusement Park, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Indiana Dunes National Seashore. What we saw was America is rockin’! Containers on trucks and trains and barges. People of every color and language out loving our beautiful country. If you listen to the news, it is dour. If you get out there and put 3,000 miles under your belt, you will see we are vibrant. — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
Your articles and comments from people like me are a nice break from the customer who complains about a $10 battery 🙂 — Tommy Thobe, The Village Gem, Perry Hall, MD
What is everyone’s opinion about permanent jewelry? Stuller is out of stock of the welders and we get multiple calls weekly. — Katie Poterala, MAKE MADE Jewelry, Greenville, SC
Finding employees these days is like winning the lottery. They want the job but not the work it requires. I must admit that I have given up on seeking any new employees for the foreseeable future. I am just putting in more time and getting it done right the first time. Sad face here. 🙁 — Bill Longnecker, Longnecker Jewelry, McCook, NE
In our market, James Allen has cut into our sales more than Blue Nile. Now that they’re both owned by Signet, it could get interesting. What’s the Chinese curse: May you live in interesting times? — Bill Elliott, Ross Elliott Jewelers, Terre Haute, IN
Fall: events, events and events. Told my staff last spring with the impending slowdown that store events will be the way to keep our numbers up. So far, it’s been true. Our “Grill & Chill” event in June was absolutely crazy good. I’m thinking about an actual auction in my store. — Tom R. Nelson, Nelson Jewelry, Spencer, MA

Share your thoughts with INSTORE. Email us at editor@instoremag.com

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.”