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Ugly Duckling Day and Other November Dates to Ensure a Fairy-Tale Ending to 2023

Small Business Saturday is also your chance to play Cinderella.

Published

1 year ago

October 16, 2023

INSTORE Staff Instore October 2023 Issue

Ugly Duckling Day and Other November Dates to Ensure a Fairy-Tale Ending to 2023

1 Prep your red ribbon bracelets and blue circle earrings. November is National AIDS Awareness Month and National Diabetes Month. See if there is a role you can play in a local event or host your own. Then, with a tank full of community goodwill, you can get down to the commercial nitty-gritty of the holiday sales season.

11 The 180th Anniversary of the Publishing of Hans Christian Andersen’s Ugly Duckling is the perfect peg for a makeover contest. J + L Jewelry in Long Beach, CA, did one a few years ago with great success. “Boy, did we ever see some really horrible looking rings. It was hard to judge,” recalls owner Janis Krantz, adding the owner of the “ugliest duckling” got a $500 store gift certificate to redesign her ring.

25 Ever had the feeling that someone forgot to invite your store to the Black Friday ball? OK, Cinderella, this is your day: Small Business Saturday, which is held to remind consumers that there is more to holiday shopping than national chains. Get involved! (There’s a bunch of free tools at smallbusinesssaturday. com to help.)

25 On Shopping Reminder Day, launch a holiday countdown, employing a ticker on the home page of your website. Highlight a “gift of the day.”

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."