Stores
By JCK Online Staff -- JCK Online, 6/1/2009 2:00:00 AM
Omega ambassador and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, along with Omega CEO Stephen Urquhart, officially opened the first-ever Omega flagship boutique in New York City on April 22.
West
Fred Segal, a California retailer of high-end fashion and jewelry, will be the focus of a new reality series on the cable network Bravo, according to Hollywood Reporter. The show will document the daily goings-on at Segal's Santa Monica store.
Foster & Son, Denver, is celebrating its 50th year in business, according to local press accounts. Its ownership has spanned four generations of the same family.
James Avery Craftsman opened its 50th store in Georgetown, Texas, in April.
Northeast
B and A Jewelers of Staten Island, N.Y., a local fixture for decades, is planning to expand to a second location in the borough, said a report in a local newspaper.
Park Jewelers on Main Street in Boonton, N.J., was recently robbed in broad daylight, press accounts say. Masked men entered the store and stole $300,000 in jewelry.
Bernie Fields Jewelers, Westbrook, Conn., is closing after 106 years in business. It moved from Middletown, Conn., in 2005.
Desjardins Jewelers, Manchester, N.H., is closing after 65 years in business, said press accounts. A family illness required the action, reports said.
South
W. Thraves Jewelers, Seneca, S.C., was recently burglarized, press accounts say. The suspects shattered the store's front window and broke into its display cases, police said.
Bruce Gumer, of Gumer & Co. in Louisville, Ky., who pleaded guilty to scalping Kentucky Derby tickets, has also pleaded guilty to federal banking violations, reports say.
Morris Jewelers, Seymour, Tenn., was recently robbed, according to press accounts. Police said the thieves "cleaned out the store."
Ed Croft has stepped down as president of three-store chain Schwarzschild Jewelers in Richmond, Va., the company said. Croft was recruited by Brown and Co. in Atlanta. The three stores will now be managed on an individual basis.
Midwest
Hacker Jewelers, Tecumseh, Wis., recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and was hailed in an article in the local Daily Telegram.
T. Kelly Jewelers, Champaign, Ill., plans to close this year, press accounts say. Its owner said the closing is for health, not economic, reasons.
50-year-old Austin & Warburton Fine Jewelers, Ann Arbor, Mich., is closing, reports say. The store's owners plan to build a business on the Internet.
C.J. Duncan Jeweler, Massillon, Ohio, was damaged by a fire in a nearby building, reports said. Its owners said most of the damage was from smoke and water, and the jewelry was locked in safes.
