These notes were originally posted, in a somewhat different form, on David Squires’s LinkedIn account. Follow David on LinkedIn.
Tim Ell owns Zorell’s Jewelry in Bismarck, ND and has a quote in his America’s Coolest profile (from a few years back in INSTORE) that I really, really like.
Says Ell: “We ALL do the big things: We ALL offer great service, are here for you after the sale, have a friendly atmosphere, are locally-owned, etc., but what do you do and offer that NO one else does? I focus on the little things every day at Zorells and try to find a way to add them or remake them into a part of the memorable experience my customers enjoy. My tip is do the big things to survive. But, focus on the LITTLE things to thrive.”
Here’s what runs through my mind when considering Ell’s quote.
The big things — location, inventory, great lighting, pretty fixtures — those are like oxygen. You need them to not die. But they’re not what makes anyone love you.
The little things are different:
- Remembering her dog’s name (Biscuit!) and asking how he’s doing
- A handwritten note in the box (actual words, specifically written for this actual person)
- Listening to his fantasy football rant while fixing his watch — and laughing along (because he believed “THIS is the year” for his New York Jets stack, and it is NEVER the year for such a thing)
- Having her half-caf oat milk vanilla latte ready BEFORE she asks
- Quietly switching from pop to Sinatra when an older couple walks in
None of these are particularly hard. They just require paying attention. And paying attention is weirdly rare.
Big things = survival. Little things = LOYALTY.
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A Few Coffee Cups I Wouldn’t Mind Owning
DIVING DEEP into the INSTORE magazine archives, I came across this 2003 collection of imaginary coffee mugs we created for the back-page humor column (“In the End”) we were running at the time. In addition to some badly dated fonts, there are a few VERY dated references — Basel presented as the ultimate jewelry event; Diddy presented as a model for men wearing bling — but I do still quite like a couple of these.
So — which would YOU buy?
By the way, the language on a couple of the cups might be challenging to read. (Damn you, 1990s fonts!) Anyway, the pinkish cup reads “World’s Greatest Shank Repairer” and the teal one expresses another somewhat dated sentiment, reading “Everybody Must Get Keystoned”.
Remembering How We Started … 25 Years Later
YOU KNOW you’re a true jewelry retail veteran if you remember when INSTORE magazine looked like this.
(These were the first three issues of INSTORE — January, February and March 2002. Which means that the January 2026 issue we’re currently working on marks the start of our 25th year of publication, with the actual anniversary issue in January 2027.)
INSTORE’s first three issues from 2002, captured in their highly colorful glory. PHOTO: DAVID SQUIRES
