Editor's Note

Why Custom Is King … And What You Should Do About It

Many jewelry clients are choosing custom design as a means of self-expression.

Published

1 year ago

March 8, 2022

Trace Shelton Instore March 2022 Issue

IF YOU’RE NOT part of our Brain Squad survey group, you should really join. That way, you could see all of the responses that we can’t fit into the magazine. One of the most useful features is Hot Sellers, in which we ask readers to tell us what products sold best the previous month. Without fail, one of the top responses given is “custom design!”

I’m not sure how many realize just how popular custom design has become over the past five years. That’s because one of the primary motivations — if not the primary motivation — of jewelry consumers today is self-expression.

They don’t want their jewelry to look like everyone else’s. They want theirs to look like them.

Which is why I’ve been looking forward to this issue’s lead story, “Crafting the Custom Sale,” for a long time. In it, we take you through each step of the custom sale with advice and tips on everything from marketing to closing. And we dive into one of the most important expansion areas for custom today: the virtual sale.

Of course, the biggest trade event for sourcing gemstones for custom and other jewelry is happening in Tucson as I write this. It’s my understanding that while attendance may be somewhat lower due to COVID, buying remains strong.

The future continues to look very bright for custom design. If you don’t already offer it, now’s the time to get on board. And if you’re not part of our Brain Squad, join today at instoremag.com/brainsquad!

Why Custom Is King … And What You Should Do About It

Trace Shelton

Editor-in-Chief, INSTORE
trace@smartworkmedia.com

Five Smart Tips You’ll Find in This Issue

Treat Mother’s Day like a serious shopping holiday and get the word out about your special offers. (Manager’s To-Do, p. 26)
Ship wax models for free to long-distance custom design clients … as many times as it takes. (The Big Story, p. 38)
Refer to the diamond as “your diamond” in sales presentations to transfer ownership to the client. (Aleah Arundale, p. 62)
Use Instagram’s scroll-down menu to consider new hashtags to try out with your posts. (Amber Bartolet, p. 60)
Instead of fighting bad habits, start new ones instead to replace them. (Ask INSTORE, p. 67)

Time for More “Me Time”? Time to Call Wilkerson

Rick White, owner of White’s & Co. Jewelry in Rogers, Ark., knew it was time to retire. Since the age of 18, jewelry had been his life. Now it was time to get that “me time” every retailer dreams about. So, he chose Wilkerson to manage his going-out-of-business sale. White says he’d done plenty of sales on his own, but this was different. “Wilkerson has been a very, very good experience. I’ve had the best salespeople in the history of jewelry,” he says. “I recommend Wilkerson because they are really the icon of the jewelry business and going-out-of-business sales. They’ve been doing it for decades. I just think they’re the best.”