The Instore Show is hosting a celebration of its Cool Store winners, past and present. The event acknowledges the 70 stores selected and judged on the appearance, marketing strategies, individuality, and the cool story that makes their store unique and successful.

Dan Kisch, publisher of Instore magazine, will be hosting the event, April 19 at the grand ballroom at the Navy Pier from 6-8 p.m. He will introduce the 2008 winners in the number one category for big and small cool store. Zachary’s Jewelers’ owners, Steve & Challie Samaras will be representing the “Small Cool Store” category while Sarah Read will represent Lee Read Jewelers, winner of the “Big Cool Store” category. All Cool Stores in attendance will be acknowledged.

Also on April 19, the Peer-to-Peer Theatre Area of the Exhibition Hall will include interviews of past Cool Store winners. The interviews will take place in order to better understand the benefits of being a ‘Cool Store’ in terms of sales, customer service, product highlights, customer reaction and increases in store traffic.

The interviewers, who include Terry Chandler, president, Diamond Council of America; Brad Huisken, president, IAS Training; and Kate Peterson, president, Performance Concepts, will lead discussion of the strategies that led participants to achieve the Cool Store status and what they do on a regular basis to remain ‘cool’ and successful.

Audience participation is encouraged for the winners to relate their visions, their motivation for each area that brought them to the level they have attained, and their reasons for creating the sensory experiences achieved in winning. The event is designed not only to acknowledge creativity and innovative spirit, but to foster more attention to retail jewelers on the opportunities afforded them by breaking traditional barriers within areas of merchandising, marketing, design, display, and brand ‘sense’ issues.

The Instore Show will be held April 19 – 21, 2009 at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

JCK