In the Loupe - November 2015

I N

T H E

LOUPE

The Ultimate Jeweler Resource

November 2015 Issue 63

Hidden Treasures in Phoenix

RJO MEMBERS SPEND MUCH OF THEIR TIME finding treasures for their customers, but now the tables are turning in Phoenix, as Hidden Treasures await you at our Spring Buying Show.

BUYING SHOW REGISTRATION BEGINS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13

Nestled in the warmth of Arizona’s desert sun, the last weekend of January will find you surrounded by surprises, delights … and treasures!

’TIS THE SEASON

SEE PAGE 2

VENDOR PROFILE: STAR GEMS

SEE PAGE 5

This show also will be a time to start our year-long celebration of RJO’s golden anniversary. In addition to the aisles and aisles of vendor offerings on the Buying Show floor and terrific entertainment, RJO will deliver its exclusive membership benefits as well, including: • one $250 travel voucher for each qualifying store when you register by December 29;

• up to three consecutive nights’ stay at the host hotel, the Hyatt Regency Phoenix;

• buying discounts, via RJO Purchase Vouchers; qualifying members can save up to an additional two percent on what you buy from vendors; and

• one $10 lunch coupon (for concessions on the buying floor) for each store, courtesy of your generous RJO vendors.

Online registration will open on November 13, and it is easy—just go to: www.rjomembers.com, log in, and go to the Buying Show section. Registering online can be completed in a matter of minutes.

You may also complete the Registration Form that is located on the last page of your Registration Packet, which will be mailed out in early November. Mail or fax it to the RJO office: P.O. Box 1045, Newton, IA 50208. Fax: 641-792-9251.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

In the Know with RJO by RJO CEO Mary Peterson ’TIS THE SEASON

‘TIS THE SEASON to give thanks and reflect on the holiday ideals of peace and hope. As retailers, the holiday season is of extreme importance to your business. Depending on the success of holiday sales, you may either feel thankful and at peace with another thriving holiday season or you may hope Valentine’s Day comes sooner than February.

As the year ends for RJO, I am taking a different look at the upcoming holiday season in regards to thanks, peace, and hope.

There is a great deal to be thankful for in RJO. We are surviving the challenging economy by being diligent in maintaining the bottom line, yet still offering new services to help keep RJO members thriving. The groupthink of our membership, both vendors and members, is increasingly positive, and our marketing campaign is bringing in quality new members, while retaining our long-standing supporters.

We are also pleased our membership finds comfort in sharing concerns or suggestions with the organization to build a stronger and more successful RJO. All that we, as an organization, are thankful for is possible because of the hard work of the membership, the willingness to accept change, and the openness in our visionary thinking.

As we give thanks to the efforts of the organization, how do we create a sense of

peace and hope through the holiday season?

Well, as I often like to do, I challenge you to stop “hoping” and to strive for “peace” of mind. Too often we hope business will get better, rather than making an effort and creating ways to make it better. In order to strive for peace of mind, we need to plan and prepare for the obstacles and successes that lie in front of us. The greatest challenge many face is creating a viable business plan to help us prepare and guide. We tend to be thankful if we have good sales for just a couple of days. But, in order to have peace of mind, we need to create new ways to allow every day to be a good day, sales-wise or beyond.

Our attitude should be: It is the holiday season year-round. We need to create the plan for our business for next year now in order to make every month count. It really is the season to prepare, plan, and change in order to celebrate with thanksgiving and feel some peace of mind.

This holiday season will be the best in several years, but for peace of mind get started on next year!

RJO CEO

Participants in this year’s RJO Succession Experience, held in October. See story on page 4.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

From the RJO Chat Channel

THE CHAT CHANNEL ON THE RJO WEBSITE (www.rjomembers.com) hosts a variety of interesting discussions each month. Here’s an edited post from a few weeks ago—and responses to it—that can be found in the RJO— Open to RJO Jewelers Only area, under the heading “Screws on Back of Watches”

SERVICES Centralized Billing

Patronage Dividend

RJO Website (rjomembers.com)

Buying Shows (Fall/Spring) RJO Chat Channel

In the Loupe – RJO’s newsletter

Free Print and Radio Ad Library (on the RJO website)

- Use the red screwdriver (1.20mm), make sure the tip is good and fits well, place it on the screw and tap it a couple of times to loosen the inevitable rust/dirt within the threads. This works about 99 percent with Fossil and all the others.

(at the Buying Shows)

Member-to-Member Incentive Program (Recruitment Program)

Organized Buying Trips to Antwerp and IdarOberstein, and Israel RJO Directory

Travel Vouchers at Shows

(offered at varying times)

Free Hotel Room Incentive (at the Buying Shows)

RJO Informational E-mail Blasts

Purchase Vouchers

RJO Membership Certificate

Education on the Go Podcasts and Webinars

Private Label Credit Card Service

JewelConnect

Response One: Make sure the screwdriver blade is the correct size and that the blade edges are not worn off. Other than that, no other ideas to get those hard %$#$$$# screws out. I also hate it when you slip and jam the screwdriver into your finger.

Response Two: Ha, I’ll second that! My other random “tricks” include:

Educational Seminars

(at the Buying Shows)

Post: Does anyone have a secret to opening the back of watches that has screws so you don’t strip the screws out? We, of course, are very careful about not stripping them, but sometimes they just don’t budge.

- Place a drop of oil in each screw, let it sit for a day or a few hours, and then tap it as above, and … voila!

- Flip your dust-off air can upside down to spray a freezing blast of air to loosen screws and screw-down backs. This is supposed to work via cooling the metal, yet I still haven’t had luck with this trick.

Response Three: Buy better screwdrivers. Seriously.

Response Four: I agree about using the correct size screw driver.

Sometimes you have to shape the blade to be the correct thickness, as well as making sure it is the correct width. On really tough ones, I have put the watch in a case holder held in a vice. I use one hand to apply steady downward pressure, and with the other hand, I use a pliers to slowly turn the screwdriver. If the blade bends or breaks, I give the watch back to the customer, explaining what I tried and what happened, and that I can’t get the screws out.

Response Five: I’ve tried the oil trick. It does work sometimes with a little patience. Another trick that I sometimes use is to tighten the screw just a bit before turning it out. That little bit of forward movement breaks the screw free, so that it can be turned out.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

Planning Ahead: October’s RJO Succession Experience

NEARLY TWO DOZEN RJO MEMBERS attended the RJO Succession Experience in Chicago the first week of October. The three-day program—the second annual—brought jewelers together interested in preparing for the future of their business.

Dustin Basch (of Don Basch Jewelers, with locations in Macedonia and Medina, OH) attended this year’s Experience, as a successor. His parents, Don and Denise Basch, attended last year’s inaugural Succession Experience.

“Setting this time aside to talk about the things which usually get pushed back or set aside due to ‘the season,’ was very good,” says Dustin, “especially the learning experience of how to select which structure may be best for your particular organization. It forced us as a family business to realize some truths and take some unfamiliar and/or uncomfortable steps to be able to keep moving forward in the process.”

Participants attended a number of sessions on a variety of topics, covering such themes as: Assessing your current situation; identifying your personal goals; identifying the needs and goals of other stakeholders; management succession; defining your current income and the dependence on the business for future income; valuation: how much is my company worth and exploring options for selling/transfer of assets; exit strategies that work; and writing your own store’s personal succession plan.

Bob Disinger, of Disinger Jewelers in Jasper, IN, found the practical elements of the gathering quite useful as well. “It was good to create a plan, a timetable and take the time to make sure Teresa (my successor) and I are on the same page. We both walked away feeling really positive about our plan.”

“Those who attended often noted how much they appreciated the time that the weekend provided them,” says RJO CEO Mary Peterson, who hosted the event.

“This was not relaxing time, though,” says Peterson. “I saw so many members working hard to put the pieces together for their own succession, and before arriving, many didn’t even know what the pieces were.”

“I would tell others to sign up no matter where they may be in their process,” says Dustin Basch.

“Whether at the beginning of the process or looking to shore things up and complete it, you never know what small bit of information you might get from the speakers’ or others’ experiences to help your transition move that much smoother.”

JewelConnect Gifts RJO Members with Mobile Upgrade JewelConnect, the RJO-exclusive web marketing system which continues to show millions of RJO retailer pages and inventory items, is celebrating their 5-year anniversary—and the 2015 Christmas season—with an amazing gift to their members.

“We really wanted to say thanks for the support,” says Andrew Boundy, JewelConnect’s manager, “and we thought an upgrade for everyone was a nice surprise in-time for the Christmas season.”

Every basic system is being upgraded to “Mobile,” which represents an additional $150 value annually.

“This is a sizable upgrade and we had to weigh the decision carefully” said Boundy, “but proper functionality on mobile devices is so important that the JewelConnect team decided to ensure that all our members were making the best of the opportunity”.

The upgrade, which has no expiration, will be live in

December for current members of JewelConnect. The upgrade includes the automatically-detected phone version, as well as tablet versions and the in-store kiosk tool. While obviously not having all the features of the “Pro” offering—which includes a complete website system, inventory upload and Diamond Retailer Platform—it’s still a great opportunity for members to leverage mobile marketing.

JewelConnect promises new tools for 2016, and there’s even hints of an all-new system which could revolutionize the way stores look at their inventory.

The team promises more information on these innovations soon.

You can find out more on the mobile package by logging-on to your JewelConnect account at: jewelconnect.com/login.php or emailing the team at sales@JewelConnect.com.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

Vendor Profile

Star Gems: Custom Simplified RJO MEMBERS FAMILIAR WITH STAR GEMS likely think of the company’s Georgia locale, located in Norcross, a suburb of Atlanta.

However, the provider of custom design jewelry actually has its roots in the Midwest (Chicago to be precise).

“Star Gems was started in 1986 in Chicago. In 1989 a branch office was opened in Atlanta,” says Anish Desai, Star Gems’ President and CEO. “As the company grew, each office became independent.”

According to Anish, Star Gems Atlanta became the jewelry division of the company, specializing in fine jewelry and eventually transitioning into custom design. The Atlanta division focused on simplifying the design needs of today’s retailer with free price quotes and no CAD fees, creating any piece of jewelry ordered. Star Gems Chicago became the source for fine idealmake diamonds (from 0.50ct10.0ct in size) carrying a large inventory of more than $10 million in loose diamonds.

Anish Desai is proud of how Star Gems has become a market leader in custom design with the ability to provide different qualities of diamonds and color gemstones as well as cast in various precious metals: silver, gold, platinum, and palladium. “We are able to meet every price point,” says Desai, “allowing retailers to compete with a wide range of designs. We have more than 100,000 designs in our CAD directory which allows us to create many of the designs that are sought out by today’s shoppers. Also, the company has

the ability to cut stones to specifications which allows us to take custom to a whole different level. Our abilities allow us to create just about anything in jewelry, making almost every sale possible for today’s retailer.”

To help retailers in every possible way, Star Gems launched a special brand, geared to just that end.

“Vogue was introduced into the market with a simple concept,” continues Desai. “Once a Star Gems product is purchased, it should have the ability to be customized so that a retailer would never have to say ‘no’ to any of its customers. To meet the consumer needs, changes will be implemented from the stock piece and the sale will be possible for the retailer. Flexibility is a huge part of the success of our retailers who carry our brand Vogue because we have implemented changes across our entire product line.”

Since becoming an RJO vendor, Star Gems has not missed an RJO Buying Show. Anish says that the Buying Shows are fun, and it allows Star Gems to meet their customers whom they otherwise don’t get a chance to see very often. At the most recent “Jazzed” show in St. Louis during the summer, Star Gems introduced “our most successful designer creations, from award winning designer, Terry Quinn.” Named “Quinn’s Creations,” the line features an initial six designs, but plans are for this number to grow.

Anish says that the ability to create a product line from Terry Quinn’s inspirations (and bring those award-winning designs in a

limited edition for RJO retailers) was a step in the right direction for Star Gems.

Anish says that more is on the way from Star Gems.

“We are on a mission to introduce, in 3-D, the designs in our CAD directory. With a great way to present custom design choices to the customers in their stores, this will help retailers take custom design to the next level,” says Desai. “This new concept will be introduced in 2016, and the choices the RJO retailers can present to their customers will be very beneficial, easily taking custom design to the next level.

Our goal has always been about making it simple and easy for RJO retailer, so that each of their team members can process an order with simple solutions.”

Star Gems, Inc. is located at 3850 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Suite #350, Norcross, GA. Phone: 1-800-474-5579.

Website: www.StarGems.com

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

2016 Spring Buying Sho Hidden Treasures await you at the Spring Buying Show to be held the last weekend in January next year. America’s fifth largest city, Phoenix has a population of 4.3 million and is home to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the sixth-busiest airport in the country and the eighth-busiest worldwide.

Phoenix’s downtown is known for being home to many of the state’s best arts and dining offerings. The list of celebrities that call Phoenix home includes: Emma Stone, Nate Reuss of fun., Lynda Carter (Wonderwoman), Stevie Nicks, and David Spade.

We’ve put together some preliminary information about the Buying Show and its host city. We hope it helps you start your planning for January.

Get to know The Valley of the Sun

FUN.

• Among local laws: Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs, and it is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water.

• A local saying: A three-inch rain in Phoenix means three inches between drops.

• Phoenix has more boats per capita than any other city in the nation.

• It takes 50 years for a saguaro cactus to grow one arm.

• Phoenix is home to the only venomous lizard in the U.S. Gila monsters are a protected species, and seeing one of these orange-and-black herptiles is a treat as they’re highly elusive.

• Your right to remain silent began here. You know that phrase “you have the right to remain silent?” The Miranda rule owes its origins to a crime in Phoenix and the subsequent U.S. Supreme Court case — Miranda vs. Arizona — from the 1960s.

• The world’s first McDonald’s drive-thru was opened here in 1975.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

ow • Phoenix, AZ • Jan 30 - Feb 1 The average high temperature in Phoenix at the end of January is 67 degrees, and the low is 46.

Our Host Hotel: Hyatt Regency Phoenix

Set within the heart of this desert city, our Show hotel is an oasis retreat of comfort and calm. From comfortable suites to delicious dining and beyond, we invite you to immerse yourself in the very essence of downtown Phoenix.

You’ll be treated to: spacious guestrooms and suites with scenic views of the valley and the city skyline; an outdoor pool and adjacent hot tub; a 24-hour fitness center; and the Compass Arizona Grill, the state’s only revolving restaurant.

Book your rooms early by clicking here.

The Hyatt Regency Phoenix is located at 122 N 2nd St. in downtown Phoenix.

Pizzeria Bianco

Pizzeria Bianco has been rated as the best pizza in the United States by Bon Appétit, Vogue, Rachael Ray, the Travel Channel, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, GQ, and Gourmet magazine. In 2003, owner Chris Bianco won the James Beard Foundation Award for best Southwest Chef (the only pizza chef to have won a regional award).

Pizzeria Bianco was featured in Peter Reinhart's book American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza.

Pizzeria Bianco is a small establishment, located in Heritage Square, just a few blocks from the Buying Show. Patrons are seated on a first come, first served basis, resulting in long lines, often starting at 3:30, an hour and a half before opening time.

Pizzeria Bianco is located at 623 East Adams Street in Phoenix.

Airlines Serving Phoenix

( click on an airline name to go to that airline’s website ) American

jetBlue

Alaska

Southwest

Frontier

Sun Country

Hawaiian

WestJet

Delta

Great Lakes

Spirit

United

Phoenix: There’s an App For That Phoenix Official Travel Guide The Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau offers a useful mobile app on the iOS platform.

Additionally, RJO’s popular Buying Show app will be ready for Phoenix in early January of next year.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

Some Antwerp/Idar-Oberstein Traveler Finds are Priceless

EUROPE HAD A NUMBER OF RJO MEMBERS roaming the land last month. This year’s trip had members from 22 stores take part in the tour. Additionally, 6 stores took the excursion to IdarOberstein. Five of the stores that participated brought their teenagers along, turning it into an impromptu “Next Generation” abroad.

Jeff Krekeler, of Krekeler Jewelers in Farmington, MO, was part of this group; he brought son Gray with him to Europe.

“I’ve been traveling to Antwerp with RJO since 1989, and this was my second trip to Idar-Oberstein,” says Krekeler. “Every year my favorite memories are of the friendships that are forged on these trips. This year generated a lot of extra fond memories because I got to see Antwerp, Brugges and Idar-Oberstein

through the fresh eyes of my 14year-old son.”

An exceptional memory for Krekeler was a side-trip to Hoxter, Germany.

“Hoxter, Germany is the ancestral home of my family,” says Krekeler. “Because my son, Gray, traveled with me this year, we decided to take a couple of days and explore the town. Jochen [Benzel, owner of Hans-Dieter Haag] was instrumental in helping us arrange the train connections from Antwerp to Hoxter and then Hoxter to Idar. It was a total of seven trains and one bus, totaling more than 14 hours of travel. Because he’s a lover of history, Jochen voluntarily researched the town and my family name. Before we left he sent us a list of living Krekelers who are still in the Hoxter area, some buildings and

The second group that visited Antwerp stopped for a group photo at the train station. A full album of photos from this year’s trips may be viewed here, on the RJO Facebook page.

places we’d want to visit, as well as a couple of maps.“

The international kindness didn’t stop there.

“At dinner the first night,” says Krekeler, Jochen presented my son and me with an 18-generation family tree spanning more than 600 years! We were completely blown away. He also found many labels from the Krekeler Brewery in Hoxter, and he printed them out for us. I’m very excited to share this gift with the rest of my family on Thanksgiving.”

Krekeler’s experience on the annual trips is not uncommon, as members continually note how welcome the European vendors make them feel over the years, and the settings have instilled couples to re-connect and one brave soul to propose to his girlfriend during a trip.

“I would absolutely recommend this trip to other RJO stores,” says Krekeler.

“Connie and Steve are wonderful hosts. Their knowledge and guidance will make this an easy trip for a first timer. Adding Jochen and Nancy to the mix in Germany just improves the experience.

The travel, the new friendships, the food and experiences are well worth the travel; the extra diamond and gemstone business—before and after the trip—are just icing on the cake!”

Dates for RJO’s 2016 trips are not yet set. To learn more about this great opportunity, contact RJO trip coordinator Connie Matsen (cmatsen@rjomembers.com) at RJO’s offices: 800-247-1774.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

Insurance Matters

Estate Planning: Your Life’s Work Should Not be Left to Chance IF A FAMILY MEMBER had a serious heart condition that required surgery, we would surely seek out the best cardiovascular specialist available to perform the operation. The same should hold true when seeking advice on our estate and business succession plans. Our families and businesses deserve the benefit of expert advice.

We need legal advisors and other facilitators specifically trained and experienced in dealing with the estates of business owners. Many lawyers who are general practitioners are adept at handling legal affairs. But few of them would attempt to develop a sophisticated estate plan that could provide the specialized legal documents you may need. Just as we would not likely ask our family doctor to perform open heart surgery, neither should we assume that a generalist attorney is qualified to develop a complex estate and business succession plan.

In addition to technical expertise, estate planning attorneys often have developed the skill to explain complex issues to us in understandable terms. Since

these attorneys regularly deal with multifaceted challenges facing family business owners, they can focus on listening. And because they may be more skilled and experienced in working with other advisors, they have a greater ability to direct the planning process to a successful—and costeffective—outcome.

Federated insurance is committed to helping family business owners complete this important planning.

This is why our marketing representatives can help our clients locate attorneys specializing in estate planning and personally help facilitate much of the “leg work” that can make the process go more smoothly. Your local Federated representative would be happy to visit with you about this.

After all, your life’s work should not be left to chance.

For more than a century, Federated Insurance has provided peace of mind to business owners through valued insurance protection.

Federated Insurance is also a proud sponsor of the RJO Succession Experience. To learn more about estate planning, contact Chris Wall, LUTCF, at 507-455-5952; cjwall@fedins.com

ks • Buying Show Perks • Buying Sh Best Window Display/Case Design

Purchase Vouchers

Discount on All Show Purchases

$100,000 - $149,999.99: 1% $150,000 - $199,999.99: 1.5% $200,000 or greater: 2%

Get a $250 Travel Voucher

RJO Members Stay Free

Sunday Lunch Coupons

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

MILESTONES

CHARLOTTE PRESTON, owner of Charlotte Preston Catalysts in White Bear Lake, MN, died October 8 after a long struggle with cancer. She was 62. Charlotte was a leading education consultant to the jewelry industry nationwide and an integral partner in many RJO Buying Shows, having helped arrange speakers and seminar leaders over the years.

“Charlotte has made a profound difference in the lives and professions of so many in our industry,” said CEO Mary Peterson, upon presenting Preston (in absentia) RJO’s Board of Director Award during the St. Louis Buying Show at the end of July. “We are all the better to have worked with you, learned from you, and enjoyed your friendship.”

CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR, owner of Taylormade Jewelers in Glen Rock, NJ, passed away September 21.

He was 66. Taylor was planning on retiring at the end of this year, and the store is now undergoing a closing sale. He was a strong supporter of RJO, and promoted his regular RJO-hosted trips to Europe.

More information may be found on the store’s website: www.taylormadejewelers.com Our thoughts go out to each and every family.

Does RJO Have Your Most Up-to-Date E-mail Addresses?

To make our contacts with you more efficient and timely, RJO is increasing the use of e-mail as a contact medium.

From regular electronic newsletters to buying show announcements, our e-mail notifications are getting more common and more important.

If you’ve changed your e-mail address lately or would prefer to receive RJO communications at a different address, please let us know.

Address updates and changes can be directed to Hannah Green in the RJO office at: Hannah@rjomembers.com

CALENDAR NOVEMBER 2015

DECEMBER 2015

10

10

13

21

20

towards Patronage Dividend

All payments must be received in RJO Office

Retail Member Buying Show Registration opens

All payments must be received in RJO Office

All invoices must be received in RJO Office to count

All invoices must be received in RJO Office

24-25

Vendor Buying Show Registration closes

29

23

26-27

Thanksgiving - RJO Office closed

Christmas - RJO Office closed Retail Member Buying Show Registration closes

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.