Selling Jewelry: A Hallmark of Hallmark Stores

Jewelry has long been a staple at Hallmark Stores. For this article, shop managers and staff described some of their top sellers in this sparkling category.

At Amy’s Hallmark Shop in Grand Forks, N.D., Sales Lead Kaylee Mozey said, “Our top-selling jewelry items are from the brands Scout and Canvas.” Scout has a modern yet Bohemian style, including wrap bracelets that can be transformed into necklaces. Mozey said the brand’s earrings are especially popular. “Many of their pieces are somewhat unique because they have small stones and crystals as a part of the look. The Canvas brand uses a lot of unique patterns including one that resembles tortoise shell, and the jewelry comes in a variety of styles.”

The unique look of the jewelry contributes to its appeal, according to Mozey. “Scout also donates a percentage of its profits to helping women, so that draws shoppers, too. In general, our customers know we carry these brands here and are happy we carry them.” brand, they’re made in America, and they stand behind their products. We’ve never had any problem with them, and people love them.”

She noted that to help sell more jewelry, the store posts images on Facebook, and Mozey herself will wear some of the necklaces to show them off to customers. Interacting with customers interested in the jewelry and suggesting certain items also promotes its sales.

To sell more jewelry items, she said, “We do a lot of in-store displays, and we change them out every few weeks. Our displays are always fresh, we don’t just change them seasonally.” And to make the shopping experience at the 3,600-square-foot store the best possible experience for customers, she stressed, “We are super friendly and greet everyone of course. We know many of our regular customers, and we let them know what items are new and answer any questions they might have.”

“Our top-selling jewelry items are from the brands Scout and Canvas. …Many of their pieces are somewhat unique because they have small stones and crystals as a part of the look. The Canvas brand uses a lot of unique patterns including one that resembles tortoise shell, and the jewelry comes in a variety of styles.”

- Kaylee Mozey, Amy’s Hallmark Shop, Grand Forks, N.D.

Overall, Mozey said the store enhances its shopping experience by friendly interaction with customers as well as “seasonal décor. We change our décor all the time, around the holidays and all the seasons. We will have birthday and celebration seasons, for example. Creating a fun atmosphere naturally makes it more appealing.”

In Medford, Ore., at Tiff’s Hallmark Shop, owned by Tim and Stephanie Reins, eight-year sales associate Patty , who prefers to go by her first name, called Silver Forest the store’s number one top selling jewelry item. “They do so well for us because they’re a very well-made

Sandra Moran, the manager at Jen’s Hallmark in Whittier, Calif., agreed that Silver Forest is a top selling brand for the store. “We also do very well with Demdaco as a line. They are both special to Hallmark and have a lot of universal appeal.” She added, “Demdaco offers quite a lot of variety in their line of jewelry. They have such a wide range of products, from holiday styles to religious styles to everyday wear.” Along with these two major brands, Moran noted that Dayspring by Hallmark is another jewelry line the shop carries that does well for the store.

To sell more jewelry, Moran relies on customer interaction as well as maintaining attractive displays. “We’ve also used social media,” she said, “but we interact with our customers a lot, and I like to sell to our customers. We push new items. Most of our customers know us and what we carry and share the information we give them with their friends.”

Making the store its most appealing for customers includes this type of cheerful interaction, she asserted.

“You have to have good customer service, that’s the first thing. We believe in treating our customers like family.” And in general, she stressed, “If you don’t interact with your customers, you wouldn’t know what their needs are or what they are even looking for. I have some customers I’ve worked with a long time, and I always remember their names. I try to get to know people.”

At Katy’s Hallmark in Torrance, Calif., the shop’s experienced store Manager, Madge, prefers to go by her first name. She concurs with the Whittier and Medford Hallmark stores that Silver Forest is a top selling jewelry brand. At Katy’s Hallmark location, the Periwinkle brand is another major seller. The latter brand’s signature is offering both classic and contemporary styles that work well for many different occasions. “Both jewelry makers have very updated looks and reasonable prices. And, I’d say for our area, both are somewhat unique.” She added that “The jewelry can be worn at all sorts of locations, for all kinds of events, from weddings to casual anytime wear. The colors are beautiful, too, and its good quality jewelry. All I can say is that women of all ages will wear these brands, and everyone just loves them.”

To sell more of these items, display is key, Madge attested. “Our customers know we carry these lines and they do come in for them. Especially Silver Forest, people are always looking for their current styles, which change every year. But display, and keeping the display looking fresh, is very important for sales.”

“They do so well for us because they’re a very well-made brand, they’re made in America, and they stand behind their products. We’ve never had any problem with them, and people love them.”

– Patty, Tiff’s Hallmark Shop, Medford, Ore., commenting on Silver Forest jewelry

The store encourages a good shopping experience for its guests in a variety of ways. “We have open houses, and in fact this weekend will be an ‘open house’ weekend. We keep our displays looking fresh and change them seasonally. We also offer Hallmark promotions,” she stated. "And in general, we just try to create the most appealing atmosphere. Right now, we have a lot of seasonal holiday music, and just hearing that kind of music gets you in a happy mood, at least it does for me, and it makes you want to shop here.” The store also offers morning coffee, she said, with the fresh coffee scent adding to a welcoming atmosphere.

Overall, Hallmark stores create a warm and friendly atmosphere for shoppers, which encourages sales of the items the shops carry, including jewelry. From greeting and interacting with customers to suggestive selling and frequently changing seasonal displays, Hallmark locations across the U.S. encourage jewelry purchasing with a mix of fresh displays and wearable, attractive merchandise that jewelry shoppers have come to expect. ❖

Top Training Tips at Hallmark Stores

Hallmark stores focus on customer service, and that focus is one of the key training tips store management emphasize, according to this article.

At Amy’s Hallmark Shop in Grand Forks, N.D., Sales Lead Kaylee Mozey said, “In our personal training we are always encouraged to reach out to people, greeting them, being as friendly as possible, and making sure people can find everything on their shopping list. Helping the staff to be as welcoming as can be is important.”

Sandra Moran, the manager at Jen’s Hallmark in Whittier, Calif., explained that at this busy shop, “We always emphasize the importance of being friendly. When you got into a store, how you want to be treated, that’s how we train our staff to greet and treat our customers. We have a lot of older clientele, and we will have to assist them from time to time with things like readying the prices or helping them find items. That’s the kind of thing we train people to do.”

The store manager at Katy’s Hallmark in Torrance, Madge, who prefers to go by her first name, described her top training tip. “We emphasize being courteous and attentive to your customers. We have at raining module that is based all around that. We encourage our staff to treat our customers like they want to be treated. That’s really what all our training is based on.” ❖