We work with so many jewelers around the country that we get to see store layouts from A to Z. Traditionally, the bench jeweler is tucked back in a corner somewhere and hidden from customers. If the bench person is an introvert, he or she probably loves it. The fewer the customers the jeweler has to face, the better. Customers are viewed as a distraction to their work and simply get in the way. But jewelry repair is like a hospital for things that need to be fixed, and sometimes acts as an emergency room – a high speed service – for things that can and should be fixed quickly.
Recently I had the occasion to visit a store to check out one of their promotions and I was drawn to their glass walled shop that housed four jewelers hard at work. I was impressed. The glass drew me to the jewelers like a magnet, and I stood there for a while wondering why more stores don’t highlight their on-premise jeweler. This may not be possible with your current store configuration, but if you’re considering a remodel, keep your jeweler in mind.
One of our clients has a “hospital clean” design center in the middle of the whole store with all the jewelers wearing crispy white lab coats. A sketching table is next to a Computer Aided Design area that seats the CAD designer and an engagement couple who can watch the design of their ring come to life. Custom design allows you to cut inventory costs by a significant percentage and free up capital that would otherwise be sitting in aging merchandise. Despite what we may want to sell in our stores, customers want it “their way” and we are wise to provide exactly what they want if it is in our power to do so.
I share these ideas with you when I write because my company has only one interest, and that is to see you become more successful in your business. True, we are specialists in inventory reduction sale events that generate cash and relieve you of the burden of unwanted, under-performing merchandise. So while we can and do come in to help you dispose of aged inventory, the cash you get can help you pay for that all-important remodel. Even more than that, we pride ourselves in being advisors to upscale jewelers who – no matter their longevity or experience – can benefit from outside counsel.
Let us help you, too. Contact us any time for a private, confidential consultation with no obligation.
Sincerely,
Jeff Gordon
