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Webinar Love, Holiday Cheer and More of Your Letters to the Editor

Jewelers seem cautiously optimistic for holiday sales.

Published

4 years ago

December 4, 2019

INSTORE Staff Instore December 2019 Issue

Holiday Cheer

We are excited about the holidays. Positive thoughts bring progress and change. It is only natural to grow. If you are not, find out what is causing you not to. — Bill Jones, Sissy’s Log Cabin, Pine Bluff, AR

Webinar Love

I wanted to drop a quick note to share how much I enjoyed the webinar, “How to Get Your Millennial Prospects to Buy (Again and Again).” Kathleen Cutler did a great job boiling things down to basics that made sense and are actionable by your average retailer. Congratulations and a heartfelt thank you to INSTORE for helping to nurture and guide the industry to capture more of our fair share of consumers’ disposable income. We will never build back this industry to the good ol’ days until we band together and worry not what our fellow jeweler is doing, but how we work together as an industry to attract buyers to the category. — Kim E. Pelletier, IGC Brand Services, Chicago

Feeling Grateful

We’re hoping and expecting a wonderful Christmas. We are stocked to the gills. I am also very grateful for Jewelers Helping Jewelers on Facebook and the jewelers who are willing to help one another. — Rick Nichols, Nassau Jewelry, Fernandina Beach, FL

Cautious Optimism

I’d love to see a correction in the way consumers are buying right now. If we can end this year with traffic up, sales up and customers returning to some kind of normal buying habit, then I will feel great about going into 2020. I’m cautiously optimistic and think that buyers will come around this year because they’re tired of shopping online and want a personal experience. — Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX

Women Lead the Way

Women jewelry designers are the wave of the future. They are bringing a fresh, unique and clean aesthetic to the world of jewelry. — Elizabeth Saba, Presley Co. Fine Jewelers, San Diego, CA

(We agree, Elizabeth. Keep an eye out for our “Future Is Female” issue in February. — Ed.).

Diamond Confusion

We expect further cuts to mined diamond prices. What’s tough to figure out is if that is an opportunity or a time to unload … challenging indeed. — Alex Weil, Martin’s Jewelry, Torrance, CA

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”