Headlines

These Are the Things Jewelers Across America Are Doing to Keep Their Staff and Customers Safe

Answers to our survey run the gamut from ‘nothing’ to closing up shop, with lots of protective measures in between.

Published

5 years ago

March 18, 2020

James Ritchie

AS PART OF a survey this week focused on the effects of COVID-19, we asked jewelers: “Have you made any changes to the way customers interact with your business and staff?”

The answers ran the gamut among the approximately 200 retailers who responded to the survey. For some, it’s business as usual. Others are taking protective measures such as offering curbside service or going appointment-only. And still others have closed up shop temporarily.

Here’s a sampling of the responses:

Gone to two days per week with reduced hours and by appointment. I as owner am the one working. — Kas Jacquot Kas A Designs, Jefferson City, MO
None. Trying figure a plan that makes sense. — Todd R. Tinder, Tinder’s Jewelry, Bowling Green, VA
We are meeting by appointment only and offering free online shipping. — Rachel Pfeiffer, Lane & Kate, Cincinnati, OH
As this continues, we may go to appointment only. We are not cleaning and checking jewelry. Also, we are calling all clients expressing interest in a piece for special occasion in case the store is required to close. — Robin Lies, Burnells Creative Gold Inc., Wichita, KS
Encouraged debit/credit, offered curbside pickup and or delivery. — Nathan George, Joshua’s Fine Jewelry, Russellville, AR
Will deliver within a 10-mile radius, curbside service, will make appointments and will cut hours of the business as time goes on! — Connie Thurmond, Connie & V. Cross Jewelers, Bossier City, LA
Offering shopping online, gift cards for future shopping, curbside service, and we have a service window. — Annette Kinzie, Leonard Jewelry, Stillwater, OK
Less touching. — Wendy Smith, Jimmy Smith Jewelers, Decatur, AL
No, we, fortunately, are in a well-educated and savvy area. People will stay a safe distance from each other, understand why we are wearing blue gloves/face masks we normally use for buffing and appreciate that we are still servicing their needs. — Denise Oros, Linnea Jewelers, La Grange, IL
Closed doors until April 1. Making appointments. Skeleton staff. — Michael Cook, Walter J. Cook Jeweler, Paoli, PA
No, same as usual. — Saro Abrahamian, Town Jewelers, Chevy Chase, MD
Have offered curbside and phone ordering (we do some online normally) but no takers for curb. So far they’ve come in. — Tory Michel, Tory’s Jewelry, Marblehead, MA
We are reopening our online shop. We are sanitizing everything in an effort to protect the people working. Our 76-year-old owner is home and in contact via phone and WhatsApp. — Theresa Peregoy, Classic Facets, Edgewater, CO
Thursday we were still really busy but Friday, everything stopped and it has been that way ever since. I’m going to focus on contacting customers and getting all the work I haven’t done done! — Annette Evans, RD Allen Freeport Jewelers, Freeport, ME

Ready to Relocate? Wilkerson Makes Your Move Seamless

When Brockhaus Jewelry decided to leave their longtime West Main Street storefront for a standalone building elsewhere in Norman, Oklahoma, owners John Brockhaus and Brad Shipman faced a familiar challenge: how to efficiently reduce inventory before the big move. Their solution? Partnering with liquidation specialists Wilkerson for a second time. "We'd already experienced Wilkerson's professionalism during a previous sale," Shipman recalls. "But their approach to our relocation event truly impressed us. They strategically prioritized our existing pieces while tactfully introducing complementary merchandise as inventory levels decreased." The carefully orchestrated sale didn't just meet targets—it shattered them. Asked if they'd endorse Wilkerson to industry colleagues planning similar transitions—whether relocating, retiring, or refreshing their space—both partners were emphatic in their approval. "The entire process was remarkably straightforward," Shipman notes. "Wilkerson delivered a well-structured program, paired us with a knowledgeable advisor, and managed every detail flawlessly from concept to completion."