Instead of focusing on a single jewelry store owner, Retailer Spotlight will cast a ghostly glow on six retail jewelers having some seasonal fun in the lead up to Halloween.
Diamond Gallery of Naperville
Jackie and Kevin Lydon, co-owners
Naperville, Ill.
To celebrate Halloween, Jackie and Kevin Lydon are offering daily discounts on select jewelry items posted on their store’s Facebook wall. The couple may not be discounting jewelry to “bare-bones” prices, but they are giving significant discounts (usually 50 percent) on a variety of jewelry pieces, including a $12,500 diamond ring and sterling silver jewelry set with colored stones. Product shots are uploaded daily to Facebook with detailed captions. When it comes to showing the October discounted special prices, the couple and their staff have some seasonal fun with Halloween references such as “Spooky Monday Special,” “Spooktacular Special,” or “Candy Corn Special.” Overall, sales from the Facebook-based event have been good for the Naperville, Ill.-based couple; many “sold” signs appear on posted items. Facebook likes have gone from “1,150 to 1,350 in the first three weeks of the event,” says Kevin.
Alson Jewelers
David and Chad Schreibman, co-owners
Cleveland, Ohio
David Schreibman and his brother Chad, co-owners of Alson Jewelers, are hosting their first pumpkin carving contest this Halloween. To win a $500 gift card, contestants must submit an image of their decorated pumpkin featuring jewelry, as well as the store’s name. Contestants had from Oct. 17–24 to upload their images to Facebook. Voting started on Oct. 26. The pumpkin with the most Facebook votes will be declared the winner on Halloween night.
This bejeweled pumpkin was one of the store owners’ early favorites
Peter Indorf Jewelers
Peter Indorf, owner
New Haven, Conn.
Peter Indorf, owner of Peter Indorf Jewelers, was a co-sponsor and active participant in the Madison Chamber of Commerce’s second annual “Sea, Shop, Scare Scarecrow Event.” Fifty scarecrows created by local civic groups, businesses, families, and individuals, will be on display from Oct. 8–Nov. 1. On Oct. 20, the winner of the scarecrow contest was announced as part of a three-hour evening event. Although Indorf’s scarecrow bride didn’t get the coveted blue ribbon, it was a definite crowd-pleaser. “Many people stopped to take a closer look at our scarecrow bride,” says store manager Sarah Meister Fazzino. “Some people even took pictures with her. It was a lot of fun for us.”
Peter Indorf Jewelers’ scarecrow bride
Gasser Fine Jewelers
Lurene Gasser, president
Canton, Ohio
In downtown Canton, Ohio, Gasser Fine Jewelers’ president Lurene Gasser and her staff are active with First Friday events that foster an interest in and support of the local arts community. For September and October’s Frist Friday events, themed “Dancin’ in the Moonlight,” the folks at Gasser’s asked local artists (many associated with Arts in Stark, a local nonprofit group that offers grants and manages the city’s cultural center), to create displays for the jewelry store’s windows. The store’s large 12-section panel window and four other large windows had different seasonal themes from various local artists including many Halloween conceptions.
This ghost was made from papier-mâché
Brinker’s Jewelers
Kyle Brinker, CFO and marketing director
Evansville, Ind.
Brinker’s Jewelers is holding its second annual pumpkin carving contest. This year Kyle Brinker, CFO and marketing director of the store, is putting a cause marketing spin on the contest. First, second, and third place winners will receive $500, $250, and $100 gift cards for their winning pumpkins, same as last year. But for Halloween 2011 Brinker is also asking local disc jockeys to submit their carved pumpkins as part of the contest. The DJ with the most votes on Facebook will win $500 for his or her favorite charity. “We’re hoping with local DJs involved it’ll generate more interest in this year’s contest,” says Brinker. The deadline for submitting pumpkins was Tuesday. Voting on the 20-plus carved pumpkins started on Wednesday and will end on Halloween night. Winners will be announced on Nov. 1.”
Jewelry By Design
Jenny Caro, co-owner
Woodbridge, Va.
Jenny Caro and her husband John, co-owners of Jewelry By Design, have a graphic artist that creates group shots of the store owners and their staff using a collection of individual portraits. The “group shot collage,” as John calls it, can be tailored to suit any particular holiday or theme needed, from wishing customers a happy birthday to a happy Halloween. Staffers are photographed individually wearing black clothing to make the tailoring job in Photoshop that much easier. Some staffers are photographed holding certain props. In the case of this season’s Halloween “group shot collage,” one employee is holding a large pumpkin. “For Christmas our graphic artist switches the pumpkin out for a wrapped Christmas gift,” says Jenny.
The staff at Jewelry By Design are back in black this Halloween
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