Happy New Year! By the time this issue is out, you’ll have made it through the holiday season and you should have a pretty good idea about how your store fared. We certainly hope it was a terrific one! Despite all the chaos and noise coming from (both sides in) Washington, the good news is the economy continues to chug along. Unemployment is low and consumer confidence is up. On the jewelry retail front, there are those who feel the reduction in the number of stores is nearing its end, as we go from an over-stored past to a new leaner-meaner future. As I wrote in our last issue, the amount of jewelry sold is actually on the rise, so hopefully, that means more revenue per store for the thousands of remaining U.S. jewelry retailers. I had a fascinating trip to northwest New York state in November that left me feeling optimistic about the industry and the country. JCK sales executive