Thoughts on Trade Shows, Lab-Grown Diamonds and More Reader Letters

• Enjoyed your story about injecting personality into your store, and there are some creative ideas! — Annette Kinzie, Leonard Jewelry, Stillwater, OK
• Loved the ideas people use to make their stores memorable and glad you posted them for all of us. Doing lots of custom and it is so enjoyable! That’s why I got in the business to begin with and I’m so glad I love what I do every day! — Susan Eisen, Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry & Watches, El Paso, TX
• I’ve felt myself and other jewelers talk about our love/hate with trade shows more lately. Shows can all start to look the same and ultimately don’t offer anything unique to us outside of their location. However, the very best of trade shows is when the organizers purposely create community and extended time for us retailers to connect with each other. The more shows can do this, where we are really building friendships and alliances with each other, the more excited I am to go to that show! — Kyle Bullock, Bullock’s Jewelry, Roswell, NM
  [In that case, Kyle, I hope you’ll join us at The INSTORE Show! We have several community-building events planned, particularly our Brain Trust Workshop and networking reception. – Ed.]
• Looking forward to August and The INSTORE show! — Loann Stokes, Stokes Jewelry, Stillwater, MN
• We’re excited about the spring selling season! The bright, energetic colors of the season in the industry right now are inspiring. We love the vivid magentas, hot pinks and oranges we see. The pop of color brings excitement to the sales floor and the opportunity to educate our customers on gemstones they wouldn’t traditionally purchase. — Beth Greene, Conti Jewelers, Binghamton, NY
• I feel like it’s almost daily that I think to myself, “Wow, that would be something great to write about in INSTORE’s survey,” but then I can never remember what exactly it was because there’s too much. Almost every day there’s a situation with a customer, vendor or employee that I could write about, but it becomes overwhelming, and I get writer’s block when I fill out this survey. Don’t worry: A good story will come to me just as soon as I hit submit. — Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX
• I am very excited to visit Las Vegas this year! It’s always wonderful walking through the aisles and getting a sense of what’s new in the industry! Spring is a great time for a change and growth, and we are all looking for new inspiration at this point. I hope it comes to me at JCK and Couture! — Daniela Balzano, Water Street Jewelers, Guilford, CT
• It’s always a great thing when your magazine arrives. It’s my quiet time during my 10-minute lunch break!!! — Tommy Thobe, The Village Gem, Perry Hall, MD

Share your thoughts with INSTORE. Email us at editor@instoremag.com