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“People don’t want the ordinary. They want something special that they can wear during the day and then transition into evening. Flexibility is the operative phrase. People are not able to leave the office, go home, change, and then go out. They want accessories that will work for all circumstances. The days of one wardrobe for day and another one for evening are long gone for the vast majority.”
— Jim Rosenheim, Tiny Jewel Box, Washington, D.C., September 2001

RESPOND TO A CHANGING WORLD

“Let’s consider the major reshuffling of roles we see happening right before our eyes. Manufacturers of designer jewelry and watches opening stores. Diamond houses manufacturing their own jewelry and offering loose stones to Internet companies. De Beers is in the process of opening around 150 retail stores. Why would we need to consider reinventing ourselves? Very simple: to survive. Our industry is changing. To deny this and hang onto the belief that we can continue to conduct our business in the traditional methods of our fathers and grandfathers is to live in denial.”
— Michael Nedler, Sonny’s on Fillmore, Denver, Colorado, September 2005

“The most important changes are the computer and Internet. In the past, when a shopkeeper wanted to know detailed information about his sell-through on a particular watch brand or designer line, it could take him weeks to calculate these figures. Today, I can tell you how many watches I have in stock from a particular company, what percentage are women’s versus men’s, white gold, yellow gold, two-tone, or steel. I can tell you my daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly turnover. Computers have allowed the jewelry store to become much more efficient. If you don’t keep up with all the current technology, someone else will.”
— Jonathan Zadok, Zadok Jewelers, Houston, Texas, January 2003

“Competition is not just localized, it is worldwide. The diamond market is much different. The demand for fine and recognizable products is important to a much younger demographic. What hasn’t changed about business? The basics. The sense of satisfaction that surrounds building customer relationships that will hopefully last a lifetime. We are constantly focused on the customer experience and customizing each experience.”
— Nancy Mann, Mann’s Jewelers, Rochester, New York, November 2005

PERSONALIZE YOUR STYLE

“Open your doors to the new fashion fine jewelry category. Because a woman wants to know and see what’s new in fashion. Every season, we entice, excite, and seduce our customers with something fresh. We focus on practicing ‘personalized fine jewelry dressing.’ Our staff frequently pairs one designer’s earrings with another designer’s ring and another’s necklace. The important thing to note is that no two customers walk out with the same look, but they all find a way to differentiate themselves.”