I N
T H E
LOUPE
The Premier Jewelers Cooperative
M a y 2 0 1 9 • Is s u e 8 5 IN THE KNOW WITH RJO The More, the Merrier SEE PAGE 2
FROM THE RJO FACEBOOK PAGE Nails and Tunes SEE PAGE 3
VENDOR PROFILE Majestic Art Jewelry SEE PAGE 6
JEWELER PROFILE Christensen Jewelry SEE PAGE 8
COVER STORY Trending ... Up SEE PAGE 11
A LOOK AT
What’s Trending ... RJO Summer Buying Show • Hoops • Diamonds • Social Media
SCHAUMBURG, IL, HOME OF the massive Woodfield Mall, LEGOLAND, and two major area airports, serves as our host city for RJO’s Summer Buying Show, Summer Celebration! This is RJO’s first Show in the Windy City suburb, and it will offer classic summer weather, the Boomers (minor league baseball), easy access to downtown Chicago, and a convenient Midwestern location. This Show will include an RJO Foundation-first—a Bags Tournament (known as Cornhole in the Midwest), held on Saturday, after attendees have taken part of a full slate of educational seminars, keynotes and roundtables. Throughout the Show, there will be idea exchanges, entertainment and fun, not to mention the top trendsetters from RJO’s vendors. As always, your RJO membership entitles you to additional perks, including: • RJO pays for up to three consecutive nights’ lodging for all qualifying stores • Attendance at our Sunday Evening Totally Tropical Time, which promises to be an evening filled with bright colors, pineapples, and a live jazz cover band • Buying discounts—via RJO Purchase Vouchers—allowing you to save up to an additional 2.5 percent on what you buy from vendors • Brain Gain sessions and our popular Purchase Voucher Frenzy • A variety of excursions, including fun-filled shopping on Chicago’s legendary Magnificent Mile! Your Buying Show Registration Packet will be mailed soon, so keep an eye out for it, and be sure to watch for the various deadlines, to ensure we all have a great Summer Celebration! The Buying Show Online Registration opens May 9th.
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
In the Know with RJO
The More, The Merrier EARLIER THIS MONTH I was trying to do a bit of office cleaning, tossing anything that didn’t spark joy in me, and I came across some dated documents. A quick scan showed it to be the outline of our successful RJO Member-to-Member Incentive Program, which launched this time ten years ago. It’s always nice to look back on an idea in its infancy and see how much it has grown. Ten years ago, RJO was competing against a number of buying groups, and all of us were treading carefully back then, due to the impact of the Great Recession. RJO decided to leverage our advantage over the other groups, highlighting our patronage dividend, which was quite a selling point then, and still is today. We also took advantage of the family-oriented relationships developed among members, and we applied that to new member recruitment. If other members encouraged their jeweler friends to join RJO, such a referral would go a long way to increasing membership with a certain stickiness to it. Additionally, the referrals offer a pre-check, of sorts, as potential members apply to RJO with a known reference in tow. Like many of the outreach efforts RJO has created in the past decade, our Incentive Program blossomed, and it continues to be major source of new members. You need no more evidence than to look at the New
Members listed on page 9 of this issue. The large number represents continued growth and interest in RJO’s programs, our focus on the quality of our membership, and our commitment to help current and future generations of jewelers succeed. When I chat with members throughout the year—and in person during our Buying Shows —I’m always pleased to hear how one of our initiatives or offerings has helped a store or a member individually. This broad range of services and programs certainly allows RJO to thrive during strong economic times such as now, but it also helps us collectively survive through more difficult times. I always like to remind members we’re not resting on our past successes. We continue to work on great ideas for the future, including bigger and better Buying Shows, ever-growing dividends, and, as always, a helping hand to old and new members. I encourage you to look among your retail jeweler colleagues who may not be members of RJO just yet. If you see a good fit, please let us know and take advantage of our Incentive Program. This is certainly a solid example of “the more, the merrier.”
Sarah Streb RJO CEO
RJO BOARD NEWS RJO Board of Directors Applications Due by May 6 It is election time and four (4) seats on the RJO Board are up for re-election this Spring; those elected will begin their term in January 2020. If you are interested in serving on the RJO Board of Directors, please fill out the application form here, and submit it by our deadline of May 6.
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
From RJO’s Facebook Page THE RJO PAGE ON FACEBOOK hosts a variety of interesting discussions every day. Here are edited exchanges from two posts earlier this month:
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)
Post: So much money is spent on manicures and nails, why not consider hosting a nails event in your store to drive traffic? Let women customers post their favorite ring on their newly-done nails on your social media pages, and if they tag someone else on that picture, you could offer them a small prize or discount. You also could offer a free or discounted manicure if they make a purchase of a certain amount. If you consider a cross-marketing promotion with a nail salon, this could really drive traffic and awareness. Reply One: I agree. I spend $35 every three weeks, plus an occasional pedi. Yet I have customers complain about $15 watch batteries that last for years. I love the nails in this photo.
Educational Seminars (at the Buying Shows)
Member-to-Member Incentive Program (Recruitment Program)
Organized Buying Trips to Antwerp and IdarOberstein RJO Directory Travel Vouchers at Shows
Reply Two: I was working on a nice diamond ring sale one time, but the client kept on complaining about her nails. I scheduled and paid for a manicure (not as fancy as above) before our next appointment, and she finally committed to the ring that day. Some fear a nice ring on their rough hands would be like “casting pearls to swine.” Post: What do you use for music in your store? We’re looking to upgrade.
(at the Buying Shows)
Reply One: We have been using Apple Music; you pay $10.89 a month, and you can download every single album out there and any song. Also Spotify is good, a little bit better sound quality compared to some things on Apple.
RJO Informational E-mail Blasts
Reply Two: We play Pandora through a Sonos setup. An aggravating part is Pandora will just stop for no reason midday; it’s annoying as hell.
Purchase Vouchers
Reply Three: We use Amazon because we have an Alexa. We love it! We can turn it up or down just by telling it to, so when people aren’t in the store, we have it turned up a bit, and when people come in, we simply turn it down. It plays any genre, and we also have timers set for whenever we need.
(offered at varying times)
Free Hotel Room Incentive
(at the Buying Shows)
RJO Membership Certificate RJO Next Gen and RJO Succession Experiences
Reply Four: Amazon is free if you have Amazon Prime. That’s for one device, though. You will need the family plan ($150) to use it in two or more stores.
Private Label Credit Card Service JewelConnect Scholarship Opportunities (from the RJO Foundation)
Reply Five: I prefer Sirius over Pandora, since it seems the playlists for Pandora are very limited. Yes, with Sirius you can hear the same songs, but not with the frequency of Pandora. I also tend to like the choices of Sirius better.
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
RJO Custom Hatch Powers More Business RJO CUSTOM HATCH, the exclusive and free custom design system for RJO retailers, continues to power in-store business, with competitive quotes, custom orders, and great businessexpanding services. Custom Hatch is less than a year old, and yet it has resulted in hundreds of requests by jewelers for custom pieces from RJO vendors. It has produced thousands of quotes, and tens of thousands of dollars in orders. The system continues to provide great new business connection
opportunities to vendors, as well as provide stores with a way to increase margins through competitive bidding. Do you offer custom design in-store? Most stores do and—sometimes—the work is more than the bench can handle. This is what Custom Hatch was built for: to provide the RJO retailers with an unlimited bench, capable of accessing many specialist vendors who can design and produce pieces for your customers.
custom job. Perhaps you can increase your business in custom by having hundreds of goldsmiths working for you? Questions? Please contact the RJO office at: rjo@rjomembers.com or (800) 247-1774.
If you’re not familiar with Custom Hatch, give it a try for your next
RJO Foundation Announces Spring Scholarship Winners THE RJO FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE awarded eight (8) scholarships this Spring. Winners included: • Jody Kahlich, Jewelry Doctors • Shelby Amos, Pugh’s Designer Jewelers • Chloe Lamb, Z’s Fine Jewelry • Celina Simon, T. Simon Jewelers • Maria Hopkins, Enhancery Jewelers • Shannon Waits, Clater Jewelers • Lesley Ann Salas, Prestige Jewelers • Kimberly Medrano, Erica DelGardo Jewelry Design Since the Foundation’s inception in 2015, RJO has awarded 57 members more than $26,500 in scholarship funds. Members are encouraged to submit applications any time throughout the year online at www.rjomembers.com. Scholarships will be awarded again this Fall. Direct any questions about the RJO Foundation Scholarship program to Connie Miller: connie@rjomembers.com.
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
Antwerp/Idar-Oberstein Offers Exclusivity RJO’S ANNUAL EUROPEAN BRANDING TRIP offers jeweler members the advantage to serve as their local expert, willing to travel the world in search of their customers’ desires. Confirmed travelers are given personalized handbooks, training notes, and PowerPoint presentations to help educate their staff on branding their store and pre-selling diamonds.
travelers brand their store as the expert in their community. Travelers receive a month-to-month campaign manual that includes Instagram posts, Facebook cover photos and posts, radio scripts, in-store poster templates, and more. Confirm your trip early to ensure you get the most out of this marketing program.
The RJO team has put together a year-long social media campaign that ties in with the European Branding Trips, further helping each of our confirmed
In addition to experiencing a rich excursion into the world of European diamonds and gems, regular members who make the annual trip have learned to add a few days on either end of the trip for a little extra adventure. A Facebook thread asked about these trips, and members’ side-trips have included: London, Paris, Luxembourg, Edinburgh, Brussels, and even the North Sea. To learn more about this great opportunity, contact RJO trip coordinator Connie Matsen at: cmatsen@rjomembers.com.
Be Sure to Mark Your Calendars for Antwerp/Idar-Oberstein in October 2019
2019 Dates
First Europe Trip Hosted by Liz Schlauch & Jeff Horlacher Antwerp: October 5-10 Idar-Oberstein: October 10-14
Second Europe Trip Hosted by Connie & Steve Matsen Antwerp: October 12-17
JewelConnect Diamond Library Grows Again JEWELCONNECT, THE RJO-EXCLUSIVE online marketing and information system, has once again added to the available diamonds on the RJO Diamond Library. There are now more than 12,000 stones updated regularly on the system for RJO jewelers to search.
The Diamond Library is just one part of the online system made available to RJO members through the JewelConnect system, and it adds to the online store marketing, product marketing, custom and templated web design, as well as those other systems managed by the same team offering RJO Custom Hatch.
“We launched the RJO Diamond Library around seven years ago, and it’s been a staple of the JewelConnect system ever since,” says Andrew Boundy, JewelConnect’s developer. “It’s great. Even after all this time, the system is attracting new vendors, and we can offer in excess of 12,000 stones to the RJO jewelers logging onto the system. It’s even possible to have these stones showing with a user-defined markup on stores’ sites too, so it’s pretty cool stuff. This new addition should provide enough stones for the vast majority of requirements.”
“As always, we continue developing new systems to keep the stores competitive in their area’s online environment,” says Boundy. “My mission—and that of JewelConnect—has always been to have online buyers directed away from their device and into the physical store, to experience real jeweler service. After-all, that’s how RJO-member businesses were built, that’s what they do well, and it’s what people want.” You can find out more about JewelConnect at: www.JewelConnect.com.
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
Vendor Profile
Majestic Art Jewelry: Marrying Old and New, with Old World Charm
THE TERM “OLD WORLD CHARM” is used to describe many things: a building, an interior, or a certain level of hospitality. But old-world charm literally comes to mind upon interacting with John Bekarian, owner of Majestic Art Jewelry Corp. in Van Nuys, CA. His slight European accent befits a man who first started in the jewelry industry in Europe, working for a master jeweler who was making jewelry for royal family members, aristocrats, and ambassadors. His customers were tied to royal families living in places such as Buckingham Palace in London, or the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France.
“I derived the name Majestic from the word “Your Majesty,” as I used to hear these word all the time when I was just a little apprentice,” says Bekarian. He apprenticed with a small circle of renowned artisans who masterfully taught him how to set diamonds in the “old world” style. This is a painstaking task which is not handed down to many, according to Bekarian. He then began mastering other types of settings including “channel” and later “invisible.” He eventually moved to New York City, and after that, to Los Angeles. In California he began working with many different gemstones and various kinds of metals including platinum, gold, silver, and palladium. Bekarian mastered these new media in a short time.
“I studied mainly the French techniques— setting, enameling, engraving—in my early years,” he says. “Later on, as I changed jewelry masters, I moved on to art-deco handmade jewelry and replicas of Renaissance art, until I became a master stone setter.”
He has become one of the few known diamond setters in Los Angeles, excelling in his craft. He teaches other jewelers his craft and helps the jewelry industry raise the bar in skill, quality and art. He is prominent in the “invisible” setting technique in the Los Angeles jewelry industry. Bekarian says he continues to make original designs and finds newer and more efficient ways to set all gemstones in a “contemporary and remarkable way.” He thinks of himself as a modernizer who spares no expense in using the latest cutting-edge technology, but finds marrying the “old” and “new” to be the future in the art of jewelry manufacturing.
In his marketing, Bekarian promotes Majestic Art as “Designer of Fine Jewelry and Custom Order Specialist.”
“We just do it simple,” he says. “We, as Majestic Art Jewelry, provide comfort to our customers’ lives. We finish any job a jeweler needs, effortlessly. We are a retail jeweler’s dream-come-true, since we are their only jewelry stop that provides everything, from Alpha to Omega.”
Among the current trends he is seeing, the Frenchcut U setting is very popular, and he considers oneof-a-kind personalized jewelry as one of his fortes. Still he sees changes ahead, helped in part by advances in technology.
“Invisible setting became popular in the 90s,” says Bekarian, “and it almost completely captured the whole industry for about two decades. My vision for tomorrow still includes invisible-set jewelry, and I will be moving forward with invisible-set-on religious and personalized jewelry. Also, computerized laser technology has changed our perception on jewelry manufacturing. It’s clean, crisp, and absolutely beautiful. We use it on practically everything—from engraving to drilling, from stone cutting to soldering.” Majestic Art Jewelry is located at 640 S Hill Street, Suite 452, Los Angeles, CA. Phone: 213-489-2325 Website: www.majestic-art.com
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
Insurance Matters by Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group
10 Tips for a Safe and Secure Jewelry Business ROBBERY AND THEFT pose a very real threat to your business and can result in significant losses. Make sure your jewelry store security is strong—not only for the next big shopping day—but for the rest of the year. Here are ten tips for a quick check on your overall security. 1) Prevent grab-and-run thefts by only showing one piece of jewelry at a time. Thieves posing as customers may try to make sales associates feel guilty for not letting them try more than one piece on to compare. If that happens, put something on yourself and compare side by side. Jewelers Mutual has created tasteful showcase signs that make customers aware this practice is a security measure required by their insurance company. Request your signage here. 2) Document suspicious incidents in a logbook. Reviewing your surveillance footage daily is much less costly than an insurance deductible or replacing stolen merchandise. Create a running document or spreadsheet that can easily be searched and filtered by date, incident description, or any other variables you’re tracking. 3) Share suspicious incidents with your staff, crime prevention network, and local law enforcement, as well as inform the Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA). JSA assists law enforcement in determining whether similar incidents have occurred in your area recently and can even identify thieves before anything happens. It’s also a good idea to establish a code word or phrase to alert your staff of something suspicious. 4) Open and close your business with two or more people. To begin, one associate should enter the premises while the other observes. Only after receiving an “all-clear” from the first associate, the second associate may enter — again locking the door behind him/her — and assist with opening safes and/ or vaults, setting up display cases, and preparing for the day’s business. 5) Meet and greet every customer that enters your business and make direct eye contact with them. Even if you’re busy with another guest, you should still go out of your way to offer a quick and friendly greeting. This acknowledgment could be
enough to tell any potential thief your staff is alert and attentive, making your store a difficult target when it comes to crime. Also, keep your eye on groups of three or more entering your store. People rarely shop for jewelry in groups, and these individuals could be casing your store or working together to commit a distraction or sneak theft. 6) Make sure your showcases holding valuable inventory are strong enough to withstand a smashand-grab robbery. Sophisticated criminals will case jewelry businesses to determine the easiest path for committing their crimes. They will know the layout of the building, where the most valuable merchandise is located, the exact value in each showcase, and even how much force is needed to break the showcase glass. By having a well-constructed showcase with resilient glass, you can limit — or even completely prevent — the loss of merchandise during a smashand-grab robbery
7) Verify every alarm signal with your alarm monitoring facility. While safes and vaults are critical to limiting the amount of merchandise stolen in burglaries, criminals have proven time and again that, if given enough time, they can compromise the most durable of security equipment. That’s why your alarm — and your relationship with your alarm system provider — is so valuable. Contact your alarm system provider to ensure your alarm is providing the protection your business needs. 8) Require multiple forms of ID with check transactions, one being a photo ID. Compare signatures carefully from all forms of identification to ensure they match and keep a copy or write down the information. 9) Don’t post photos that reveal the layout of your store or merchandise displays anywhere online. This includes resources your customers may use to find you such as Google My Business or Yelp. 10) Keep your entire staff up-to-date on all things security by having them enroll in JM University®. Jewelers Mutual policyholders receive free access to the online learning platform and can register for an account at JMUniversity.com.
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
Jeweler Profile
Christensen Jewelry: Hampton’s Heart and Soul
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT seems to be passed genetically in the Gibson family. Russ Gibson, owner of Christensen Jewelry in Hampton, IA, had parents who owned and operated a skating rink back in southeast Iowa, in the heyday of roller skating in the 50s and 60s, as well as a shoe store and a clothing store.
Gibson was able to combine what he learned about business and hard work at home, with a love he learned at school. He first learned about jewelry in a high school art metal & jewelry class, from a teacher who was passionate about jewelry and gemstones. He learned fabrication techniques, casting, stone lapping, and faceting and setting. After high school he headed to the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology, which led him to attend WOSTEP (the Watchmaker of Switzerland Training and Educational Program) in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He completed his training in 1985.
After graduating and working as a watchmaker, he eventually purchased a trade shop in Iowa, where he did wholesale work for jewelry stores, repairing high-end Swiss watches, taking on big restoration jobs, and building his business foundation. After a year of working 60 hour weeks and growing his wholesale business, Gibson was presented with a new opportunity. A couple who were friends of the family and the owners of Christensen Jewelry in Hampton, were ready to retire and were looking for someone to take over the business. Gibson, who was 23 at the time, was ready to take the next step.
“I moved into a one bedroom apartment above the jewelry store,” says Gibson. “Not the most lavish accommodations, but it was super cheap and close to work! I assumed ownership of the business and continued to do wholesale work at night for the next eight years, while I ran the store during the day. This allowed me to do watch restoration, which I find very therapeutic, as well as to pursue my passion for clients in the jewelry business and creating jewelry.”
Gibson says he remembers scraping together every penny for the downpayment, yet still coming up $500 short. He says it was bit humbling to have to ask his parents for a loan for a few weeks.
“In 1999, with a growing family,” says Gibson, “I had a chance to buy the adjacent building to my Hampton
store. I chose to extensively remodel and expand the store. It was a great decision that transformed the business form a small-town jeweler to a destination shopping experience.”
As an entrepreneur Gibson expanded his business interests over the years, including the video rental business (Movies America), tanning salons (Solar Studio), Verizon Wireless stores (Celltech), a lawnmower dealership specializing in industrial lawn mowers, an alternative metal jewelry distribution company (Atomic 22), and real estate ownership and management, among others.
Today, Christensen Jewelry is the oldest business on Hampton’s main street and is an important anchor to the downtown business district.
“Even though we’re in a town of 4,200 and they say small town jewelry is a tough gig,” says Gibson, “we’re an industry leader in our area. We do a lot of things other jewelers can’t or won’t. I truly love coming to work every day.”
Christensen Jewelry has been an RJO member for 40 years and continues to be an active member. Gibson credits RJO with providing simplicity in his busy life, citing its centralized billing and instant access to a wide variety of goods and services, as well as suppliers with competitive pricing.
“RJO is an organization standing with us, that truly has the independent jewelers best interest at heart. The RJO staff is second to none; they are engaged, knowledgeable, and intelligent.”
This past March, Gibson was selected as the Entrepreneur of the Month by his local community college’s Entrepreneurial Center.
“I volunteer at the Entrepreneurial Centers and Small Business Administration, helping new, emerging, and struggling businesses,” says Gibson. Just another bit of evidence the spirit does run in the family. Christensen Jewelry is located at 120 1st Street N.W., Hampton, IA. Phone: 641-456-3473 Website: www.christensenjewelry.com
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
NEW MEMBERS Anderson’s Jewelry John Anderson Yazoo City, MS
Kent McKenzie Jewelers Kent & Lori McKenzie Bad Axe, MI
Clark’s Diamond Jewelers Jane Clark Coeur d’Alene, ID
Klutts Jewelers Len Klutts Morgan City, LA
Referred by Brian Wheeler, Mees Jewelry, Chillicothe, OH
Referred by Cheryl Burchell, Cheryl Burchell Goldsmiths, Coeur d’Alene, ID
Clater Jewelers Sallie Baer & Megan Martin Louisville, KY
Referred by Andrew Rickard, RDI, Rochester, NY
George & Co. Diamond Jewelers George & Kim Duffy Dickson City, PA
Referred by Jim Matero, PRIME Consulting, Las Vegas, NV
Heritage Jewelers Linda G. Brown Shelbyville, TN
Holly McHone Jewelers Kevin & Holly McHone Astoria, OR
Linwood Custom Jewelers Elizabeth Brown Linwood, NJ Malsons Jewelers (2 locations) Morris Esses Brooklyn NY
Referred by Price Point Marketing, Hackensack, NJ
Rinehart Jewelry Sonny & Kathy Butler Nevada, MO
Rochester Lapidary Jewelers Adam Kirckof Rochester, MN
Referred by Tom Johnson, RL Johnson Jewelers, Hastings, MN
Ross Elliott Jewelers Bill Elliott Terre Haute, IN
Referred by Tom Schlottman, Victor Corp., Cincinnati, OH
JRC Jewelry Center David & Mary Smith Halethorpe, MD
Lawrence Jewelers (3rd Location) Jon Askew & Dion Schlager Fort Gratiot, MI
Referred by Karen Engler, Shah Luxury, New York, NY
Referred by Kendra Harris, Jayson Jewelers, Cape Girardeau, MO
James Wolf Jewelers James Wolf Mason, OH
Referred by Kriss Roethlisberger, Ace of Diamonds, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Referred by Prakash Mehta, Interings, New York, NY
Rosson Company Ryan Rosson Cleveland, MS
Referred by Prashant Mehta, Diamond Expressions, New York, NY
Saxons Diamond Centers Lance Hersh & Kevin Ferrell Bel Air, MD and Aberdeen, MD
Referred by Jewelex, New York, NY and Allison Kaufman, Van Nuys, CA
Skatell’s Jewelers Beth Owens Spartanburg, SC
Referred by Prashant Mehta, Diamond Expressions, New York, NY
Stall & Kessler’s Jeff Kessler & Kristopher Kessler Lafayette, IN
Referred by Daniel Lee, Gilbert Jewelers, Webster City, IA
Swede’s Jewelers Robert Szwed East Windsor, CT
Referred by Michael Szwed, Michael Szwed Jewelers, Longmeadow, MA
Trinkets Paul & Sherry McCord Woodbine, NJ
Referred by Dave Ettinger, Bechdel Jewelers, Inwood, WV
Your Private Jeweler of Lake Norman Michael Malyszko Cornelius, NC
Referred by Tom Schlottman, Victor Corp., Cincinnati, OH
Thank you to the jewelers referring new members to our group. These jewelers will receive a $1,000 finder’s fee for their referral, payable after a new member has been in good standing for at least six months.
Does RJO Have Your Most Up-to-Date E-mail Addresses? 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 Erin Sharp in the RJO office at: erin@rjomembers.com FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
Next Gen Voices & Views
What the Tech? As part of an ongoing series, Next Gen Voices & Views asked RJO's future jewelry retailers this:
You represent the first full generation of retail jewelers for which digital technology is native to your lifestyle. What are some examples you foresee of how digital technology will affect the retail jeweler going forward? Technology—as we have seen—has the power to either really help make a sale, or completely tank it. On the positive side, it gives us the ability to finish projects much faster. We also can communicate in more ways, thus making a sale much more convenient for a busy customer. CAD programs also have given us the possibility to show a customer what a finished piece is going to look like before it is done. Groups like RJO also become a plethora of information, and in previous times, when we may have had to make a call to find an item, we can now snap a quick picture and post it, or send a quick message and connect at a faster rate.
PLAN
NOW FOR OUR NEXT BUYING SHOW!
On the negative side, we have to compete with the online retailers, and the few vendors who have decided to sell directly to the public. If you aren’t up to date with trends and social media, you may lose sales to those who market better. We constantly have to worry about the possibility of negative reviews being so much more accessible (and we all know some people use that for revenge). Technology also can hinder the face-to-face interaction to which customers are accustomed. Luisa Smith, CornerStone Fine Jewelry, Springfield, MO I feel digital technology effects many aspects of how we run our businesses today. From social media to advertising, being available to the customer in an instant is crucial.
July 2019 • Schaumburg, IL
It is important we creatively engage with our customers through social media, giving them insight to what jewelry we have, what services we provide, and who we are as a store. It also is important we consider digital options for advertising. Digital gives us the opportunity to recommend ourselves to customers and to be at their fingertips immediately.
Future Show Locations
We have so many choices of digital advertising media, allowing us to choose what fits best with the demographic we are trying to target. Jann Stewart, White’s Fine Jewelry, Fairmont, WV Attention Next Gen RJO members who have something to say: RJO wants to hear from you! Be a part of the Next Gen Voices & Views section by emailing your contact information to Sabrina Smead at sabrina@rjomembers.com.
January 2020 • Houston, TX July 2020 • St. Louis, MO January 2021 • Palm Springs, CA July 2021 • Cincinnati, OH
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.
Cover Story
Trending Up
Editor’s Note: This is Infinite Stroke, a top-trending typeface for 2019.
THE RETAIL WORLD IS FULL OF TRENDS, and smart jewelers do their best to stay on top of them. But trends happen all around us, and very few of us have the time or skills to follow them all.
There are a number of trends we’ve been able to identify so far in 2019, and those are shared here. We’ll head to the front lines and see what your fellow RJO members are finding to be (or will be) trendy items. We’ll duck into the shopping mall and find out if the next generation of shoppers may provide a boost to the mall concept. Finally, we’ll check in with experts and get their opinions on some areas of retail that seem to be trending ... up.
The Front Lines Are Paved with Diamonds
In checking in with RJO members, we didn’t find a consensus for 2019 trends, but we were able to document what is individually selling well.
Jerry Miller of Winks Fine Jewelry leaves no doubt about what’s selling in Brookings, SD: “Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds!!!!!!!!!!!! Mostly engagement rings for the bigger diamonds, and diamond earrings are a constant, since I have a trade-in program.” Miller thinks this diamond run will continue in the future, but also assures us that “Custom is still doing well.” Diamonds are also on the list of trending items for Kelli Sambo of Reiniger Jewelers in Belleville, IL. “Recently our stores have been trending majorly on custom-design bridal and anniversary rings featuring fancy-cut diamonds,” says Sambo. “We’re also seeing more diamond fashion pieces being bought by the female self purchaser; pieces such as right-hand rings, fashion-diamond earrings and Mother’s rings. Rose gold is becoming more popular in bridal, as well as yellow gold again! Baguette fashion and bridal jewelry took off for us this past Christmas, and I think this trend will continue this year. I’d say this year is on trend for diamond everything!” Other trendy items include: a return to yellow gold (Justin Thomas of Thomas Jewelers in Sewickley, PA)
and stackable rings (Katie Perrault of Nummi Jewelers in Superior, WI) and coin-themed necklaces and bracelets highlighting gold and silver coins (David Lorenz of Michael and Son’s Jewelers in Reno, NV). “We’ve seen a huge increase in interest from RJO members in gaining a better understanding of trends and trend forecasting,” says George Prout of Gems One. “Our seminar on top trends happens the Friday evening prior to each RJO Buying Show and is now consistently attracting more than 130 people, so we know the members want to know more on the subject. We especially think RJO members are attending the seminar as a last-minute buying check, so they have a better sense of what should be on their shopping list as they work with their suppliers at the Show. And, of course, I keep the seminar content vendor-agnostic, so the information isn’t simply Gems One-specific. I used to call the seminar “Top Ten Trends,” but this July in Schaumburg, I’ll actually be reviewing more than 40 different product attributes that will be driving consumer purchases this Fall.”
Generation Z Likes Mall Shopping
A recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek noted the potential revival of shopping malls by the next generation of shoppers.
According to author Jordyn Holman, “Gen Z keeps confounding corporate America. They’ve shunned beer, they want companies to take political stands, and they trust the Kardashians to make their makeup choices. But perhaps the biggest surprise about this new cohort of teenagers is the most unexpected of all: They love the shopping mall.”
“There’s always been this assumption as you go through the age spectrum, the younger consumer that has grown up with online and digital—and is very savvy— would shun physical experiences,” says Neil Saunders, an analyst at GlobalData Retail. “But actually that’s not turned out to be the case.”
Holman lists several ways retailer are attracting these future mall shoppers, including leveraging the powers of the cell phone, promoting customization, and appreciating used and second-hand inventory.
Among the top-trending items in the most recent Edge listings is this morganite and diamond pendant from Ashi Diamonds.
“The more traditional retailers haven’t really thought about this particular generation as an attractive target. They haven’t really thought about what this group wants out of a shopping experience,” says Saunders. “I think that’s starting to change now.”
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Retail Trend-Spotting Experts
According to Hayden Neal, Vertical Marketing Manager at RJO vendor Podium, these are the three trends revolutionizing local retail: • Going Mobile Since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, smartphones have taken over. Today, the majority of online traffic comes from mobile devices. That means your customers are searching, comparing, and shopping from anywhere and everywhere, making it easier than ever to find the best local retailer in record time. For savvy retailers, the rise of mobile devices is an incredible opportunity to make your business easy to find, contact, and support. • “Near Me” Searches A decade ago, finding a specific ring at your local jewelry store meant driving around town or spending hours on the phone. What used to take all afternoon can be done almost instantly with modern communication platforms like Podium. But it’s not just how you talk to your customer that’s changing, it’s also how they find your business. According to Google, “near me” searches have increased more than 130 percent in the last year. Also 76 percent of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a physical place within 24 hours of that search, with 28 percent of those searches resulting in a purchase. Even though the customer journey typically starts online, it doesn’t always end there. • Business Messaging In a recent survey, 67 percent of customers said the number one factor that influences their loyalty to a local business is how convenient they make it to be a repeat customer. So if customers are already searching for your business from their smartphone, why not keep the conversation going with chat? After all, the majority of consumers prefer chat and text to email and phone calls. And website visitors who communicate via a live chat tool are six times more likely to convert. With the right tools, you can turn clicks into customers and customers into credentials. David Geller of JewelerProfit and a presenter at the upcoming RJO Buying Show, offers his take on trends. “Trends in store have three sides,” says Geller. “On Side One, the trend of ‘who is your customer?’ It used to be baby Boomers, now Millennials, and then the X and Y Generations. Since they shop differently, retailers have to adapt.” On Side Two, Geller says the trend is the product, which we’ve covered earlier in this article. “On Side Three,” he says, “the trend is custom design. Young people will wait to get something made to specs.
But they won’t wait to get an answer. They probably have a better answer than you, and quicker. Another trend is custom-made bridal. Young people are still getting diamond engagement rings. Larger markups require better expertise in the store. In that vein, younger people have less spendable income than Baby Boomers did at the same age. Many will opt for lab-grown diamonds, so don’t be afraid of it. Finally we have repairs. Surprisingly, all age groups need this service.” So today and the rest of 2019 certainly looks bright for diamonds, custom design, and technology tools in shopping. A resurgence in shopping malls also may be on the horizon.
GemOne’s Prout can provide an in-depth analysis of his trend tracking, but he sums up the year so far—and ahead—with this general rule: “Retailers should be focusing on baguettes, three-stone (yes, the majors will be pounding three-stone this Fall), circles, links, scattered looks, and negative space as design elements, as well as specific kinds of composites designs and almost-invisible illusion plates that enhance the appearance of diamond jewelry.”
Reading List
Millennials Tried to Kill the American Mall, But Gen Z Might Save It Bloomberg Businessweek, April 25, 2019 9 Hot Jewelry Industry Topics for 2019 JCK Magazine, November 2018 Among the featured topics: - Listing product on Instagram - Importance of trade shows - Blue - Changes in brick and mortar - Lab market growth - Vintage and pre-owned jewelry - Popularity of hoop earrings
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CALENDAR May 2019
June 2019
9 Summer Celebration Buying Show Registration Opens
10 All payments must be received in RJO Office
10 All payments must be received in RJO Office
16 Father's Day
12 Mother's Day 22 Vendor Buying Show Registration Deadline 23 All invoices must be received in RJO Office
21 All invoices must be received in RJO Office 28 Member Buying Show Registration Deadline
27 Memorial Day—RJO Office is closed
MILESTONE Robert Wayne Madison, owner of Madison’s Jewelry in Camano Island, WA, passed away on January 4, 2019. Robert was an international diamond setter who started his career in 1974 with a simple silver and turquoise ring; his passion was making beautiful jewelry. He trained under an experienced German jeweler who helped shape his exquisite ability. He fell in love with Western Washington during his diamond setting days, and Camano Island is where he landed. Our thoughts go out to the Madison family.
CLASSIFIEDS For Sale: We are retiring and need to sell our equipment. Star laser welder (needs a hose and filter to work); two (2) steamers (1 non-working); electric faceting machine; new Hermes manual engraver; manual bow maker; spools of ribbon; wrapping paper; pre-made bows; various jewelry displays; long and short crendenzas; wrapping station; five (5) jewelry showcases; wall cases; several safes; and much more. Enlarged photos may be viewed here. Located in Maryland. Call 301-845-2200, and ask for Wayne.
FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.