What I’ve Learned: Diane Harris

Published

8 years ago

May 24, 2016

Retailers tend to feel that if it’s working, why change
it? So, you will always see the same designers in the exact
same spots in the store. I have learned that when the same
food is on the menu, boredom sets in. Every visit to my store
is a different experience with a dose of familiarity. I like to
challenge my customers’ senses. You walk in the door and
it feels like home and then you turn around and “pow!” I
hear this a lot: “What’s different?” “Has the store always
been this color?” I am all about evolving. I tweak my décor
by adding a new chair or display case. The store’s signature
scent is different each visit. I add new designers monthly.
The packaging changes twice a year. I want people to come
in because they know it will be a visit filled with discovery. It
takes more work to keep the “fresh factor” up but I live for
the chance to go to shows and discover the next new thing. — Diane Harris, My House of Style, Birmingham, MI

This article originally appeared in the June 2016 edition of INSTORE.

Looking for a Seamless Sale? Call Wilkerson

After almost 60 years in business, Breakiron Jewelers in Erie, Pennsylvania, was closing its doors. And the store’s owner, Linda Breakiron, was ready for it. She had run the store as its sole owner since the beginning of the millennium and was looking forward to a change. Of course, she called Wilkerson. Breakiron talked to other jewelers who had used Wilkerson and was satisfied with their response. “They always had positive feedback,” she recalls. With the sales, marketing and even additional inventory that Wilkerson provided, Breakiron insists she could never have accomplished her going-out-of-business sale without Wilkerson’s help. She’s now ready for the journey ahead, but looking back, she’d be sure to recommend Wilkerson. “They just made the whole process very seamless.”