Newcomers may see the LeoDaniels store sign and think there’s a new brand in town. But those in the know understand this jewelry family has more than 30 years of industry experience behind the company name.
LeoDaniels, which has been a wholesaler for decades and an online retailer since 2016, recently opened its first brick-and-mortar location in St. Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis. The space at 4110 Minnetonka Boulevard is a few blocks from its main offices, where father-and-son team Daniel and Chaim Kutoff work.
The space came available and the expansion of the brand into retail drove the store project, but the LeoDaniels brand always will work to maintain its wholesale partnerships, which are key to its overall business, COO CHaim Kutoff says.
“Elevating the brand elevates our products and consequently helps our wholesale clients. Success will allow our wholesale clients to leverage the LeoDaniels brand within their stores,” he says.
“We wanted to open a retail store now to expand brand awareness,” Kutoff says. “Shopping in a brick-and-mortar allows customers to interact with products in person, experience a more personalized customer service experience, and build relationships with our store’s staff.”
The nearly 2,500-square-foot store is another step toward becoming a direct-to-consumer business. Having a storefront allows people to see the work in person and understand its quality, Chaim Kutoff says.
CEO Daniel Kutoff debuted LeoDaniels as a company in 1984. The store allowed LeoDaniels to experience its first holiday season as a brick-and-mortar enterprise. Chaim Kutoff says the experience proved educational as well as fun, as they got to meet some of their customers in person for the first time.
“We met many new people and learned more about our customers. We received great feedback from customers and made changes to the store and products based on their preferences,” Kutoff says. “Overall, we are happy with the way the season went, as it presented opportunities to meet some of our longtime online clients.
The LeoDaniels signature style is classic, timeless, elegant, and sophisticated, Kutoff says, so the atmosphere had to match. For this store, they focused on creating “a simple yet stylish and inviting atmosphere” that would attract customers and make them feel comfortable, he says.
They chose a neutral color palette for the overall look and added brightly colored accents to give the store a modern and energetic look. They also included plenty of open spaces and seating, encouraging customers to browse and relax.
“We have had multiple social events to meet the local community and invite our online clients to come see us in person,” Kutoff says. “Our goal at this stage is to have our store presence be just as familiar to them as we are online. For us, this is all about brand building.”
Top: LeoDaniels has become an omnichannel jewelry business with its wholesale work, online store, and its recently opened brick-and-mortar location, says COO Chaim Kutoff (right). His father, Daniel (left), founded the brand (photos courtesy of LeoDaniels).
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