RetailRap

What were your holiday jewelry best sellers?

As retailers look forward to a new season, we ask them which items proved themselves worth reordering.

By Phyllis Schiller

MICHAEL COOKESALES ASSOCIATE
SIMON JEWELERS
HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA

“We had a good holiday 2017. Social media was more important to us this season than ever before. Mixed metals, silver and gold, and diamonds were good sellers. We sold a lot of diamond fashion rings, as well as pendants and earrings. Hearts on Fire was good.
“In terms of what we might be restocking for the coming spring season, diamond pendants and silver-and-gold mix jewelry would be what we will be reordering.”

MARK CLODIUS AND MONIKA CLODIUS OWNERS
CLODIUS & CO. JEWELERS
ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS

“Holiday 2017 was the steadiest season that we have had in recent memory. It started during Black Friday week and continued throughout the Christmas season. While sales were ‘good,’ they never peaked the way we would normally have expected them to. We think that a significant portion of business was lost because of the fact that a nearby jeweler was doing a going-out-of-business sale during this time period.
“Our best-selling categories were diamond basics, studs and pendants. Diamond fashion in silver also performed above expectations. Price points were up, and bridal did well. All in all, other than not meeting [our] goal, we were pleased overall and expect to have a good 2018.”

CATHY CALHOUN OWNER
CALHOUN JEWELERS
ROYERSFORD, PENNSYLVANIA

“Whether it was engagement rings or wedding rings, anything with Crisscut diamonds by the New York-based Christopher Designs was good [during] the holidays this year. The diamond is called the L’Amour Crisscut, and it’s been seen on the red carpet...and on the runways. The diamond reminds you of an emerald cut, but because it’s not as deep, it looks bigger. It’s a cross between an emerald and a cushion, and it’s spectacular.
   “In terms of other diamonds, I sold several colored diamonds. But I’ve always stocked natural, not irradiated, colored diamonds and have always done well with them. And I sold some big radiant cuts.
   “My best sellers in fashion jewelry were from Italian company Officina Bernardi’s sterling silver line, with a choice of platinum-plated, rose gold-plated or yellow gold-plated pieces. There are earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings, but not with any stones in them. The jewelry has a wow factor to it. The hoop earrings have faceted silver beads that let you look like you’re wearing diamond earrings. So you can travel with them and not worry about wearing them.
   “The hoops were a great holiday choice, with a price point of under $150. When the guys came in at Christmas and only wanted to spend $200 to $300, I had something to offer them.
   “I didn’t do a lot of gift-card sales this year. Customers left with jewelry. I’ve had almost no returns and almost no exchanges. I’m looking forward to spring — I have several promotions planned.”

BRAD HARTCO-OWNER
HAUSER’S JEWELERS
NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA

“We’re a diamond-jewelry store, so in terms of what we will be ordering to restock for spring, it will be a lot of diamond jewelry. We had a good holiday, and we did very well with diamond bracelets. Fashion bracelets, line bracelets, in all different varieties, sold. It was mostly white diamonds that customers were buying, but a few colored-diamond items sold as well. Basically, we’ve tried to promote our store as a diamond-jewelry destination.”

Image (clockwise from top left): Michael Cooke, Cathy Calhoun, Brad Hart, and Mark and Monika Clodius.

Article from the Rapaport Magazine - February 2018. To subscribe click here.

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