Editor's Note

This Year’s Coolest Stores Show There’s Lots of Life Left in the Brick-and-Mortar Business Model

They’re taking physical and online retailing to a whole new level.

Published

4 years ago

August 30, 2021

Trace Shelton Instore September 2021 Issue

TO BORROW A quote from Mark Twain, the reports of the death of brick-and-mortar jewelry retail are greatly exaggerated. In fact, the business model still holds boundless potential for growth, as proven by this year’s winners of INSTORE’s America’s Coolest Jewelry Stores contest.

Take BC Clark, for example — this year’s Big Cool champ. The operation has been around for 130 years, and yet it’s as innovative and devoted to its customers as ever. Its new location features a second-story lifestyle gift and bridal registry, custom chain curtain to delineate the bridal area, and a 16-foot chandelier.

Or Amanda Deer, our Small Cool champ, whose 800 square-foot showroom fronts a historic Austin building and belies a bustling back-house operation that ships between 800 and 2,000 pieces of jewelry monthly to online clientele.

Or London Jewelers, whose flagship location features 20,000 square feet of retail across seven interconnected storefronts.

Or Raintree, whose gorgeous Brazilian wood and glass showcases rest atop restored antique factory carts.

Or Charles Krypell, the longtime jewelry designer who showcases his jewels under 30-foot-tall ceilings that hark to modern mountain homes.

Or Ellie Thompson + Co., a space that celebrates the magic of jewelry design with sterling jackalopes, a shade garden and a whimsical mural.

These retailers bring the timeless allure of jewelry to life. And that’s what makes them so darn cool.

Trace Shelton

Editor-in-Chief, INSTORE
trace@smartworkmedia.com

Five Smart Tips You’ll Find in This Issue

Use plants or other organic elements as backgrounds for jewelry photos. (The Big Story, p. 74)
Close your store on Black Friday to give your team two days off before the seasonal rush. (The Big Story, p. 54)
Give jewelry to local bloggers in exchange for having them shoot video in your store and post to social media. (The Big Story, p. 44)
Set up an account at a nearby restaurant where your clients can have a drink while their purchase is readied. (The Big Story, p. 64)
Develop a “brand guide” that includes fonts, colors, logos, and everything else you want your brand to incorporate. (The Big Story, p. 46)

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.