CollectionsJul 17, 2026
HOWL Taps Shailene Woodley for ‘Home Sweet Home’ CampaignWoodley is seen in the campaign wearing our Piece of the Week, the “Frida” collar featuring 13 pieces of hand-carved Venetian glass.
IndependentsAug 15, 2016
Jeweler moves $57K in inventory with special sale
Steven and Tricia LaBiche, owners of LaBiche Jewelers in Mississippi, gave customers one hour to line up and reserve a chance to shop for inventory with a 60 percent discount.
Meridian, Miss.--One jeweler down south recently moved tens of thousands of dollars in old inventory using a clever sales event combined with a reopening, of sorts.
On June 13, LaBiche Jewelers in Meridian, Miss. invited residents to attend a “60% off in 60 Minutes” sale, a sale event of Porte Marketing, which specializes in marketing for jewelry retailers.
Customers who lined up in front of the jewelry store between 11 a.m. and noon were given a wristband and invited to shop the discounted items for as long as they liked.
“Over time, you accumulate older inventory and I said, we’ve got to find a way to get this in the hands of our customers,” LaBiche Jewelers co-owner Tricia LaBiche told National Jeweler. “My husband has not ever been a fan of jewelry sales and having people always thinking that every time you turn around its 50 percent off, like it is at the mall, so he wanted a reason for the sale.”
LaBiche’s solution? Wrap it into a “renovation celebration”--the store recently had been repainted and adorned with new awnings, so LaBiche proposed a small ribbon-cutting ceremony to kick off the inventory sale.
“We did the ribbon cutting, opened the doors and let (wrist-banded) customers shop for long as they needed,” she said, a total of about 141 people. “We stayed open as long as it took to take care of everyone, until about 3:30 p.m. or so.”
LaBiche, who co-owns the store with her husband Steven, said they did a lot of advertising prior to the sale--postcards, a billboard, radio, television and print ads, and a lot of promoting on Facebook, where the store has more than 13,000 likes.
Prior to the event, the LaBiches also personally called some of their best customers on the phone and invited them to shop the inventory sale on Friday, ahead of the general crowd. Around 80 of these VIPs showed up at the store.
“It was a showcase sale,” LaBiche said. “We pulled our newer inventory out of the showcases and put the on-sale, older inventory in to make it easy for our customers. We followed up with a 40 percent off sale
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
on Monday and Tuesday as well.”
All told across the four days of sales--Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday--LaBiche Jewelers sold about $57,000 worth of inventory at cost.
Broken down, about 770 items sold that had an average age of 564 days, a little more than a year-and-a-half.
“It was a lot of fun,” LaBiche said. “I want to make it an annual event.”
More on Independents
The Latest
SourcingJul 17, 2026
U.K. Woman Pays £5 for £15K Diamond Ring at Car Boot SaleA WeBuyVintage jewelry expert uncovered how much the flea market find was actually worth.
SourcingJul 17, 2026
Diamond Dealer Jeff Pancis Pens MemoirThe founder of natural colored diamond wholesaler Pancis Gems shares stories from his five decades in the industry.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
Events & AwardsJul 17, 2026
Gem Awards Opens 2027 Nomination PeriodSubmissions for the milestone 25th annual Gem Awards will be accepted across three categories from now through July 31.
Weekly QuizJul 17, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
EditorsJul 16, 2026
Q&A: Guzema’s Co-Owners On Its US Expansion, 10-Year AnniversaryValeriya Guzema and Mariana Lenha look back on the last decade and discuss the Ukrainian brand’s first U.S. store.
SourcingJul 16, 2026
Ekati to Close, Leaving Canada With One Diamond Mine The diamond mine, which opened nearly 30 years ago in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is expected to shut down by mid-August.
Brought to you by
Building the Future of Jewelry Retail: DCA Expands Education, Leadership Development, and Workforce SolutionsDCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.
FinancialsJul 16, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Sales Soar for the Seventh Quarter in a RowJewelry sales for the company, which owns Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vhernier, and Buccellati, rose 21 percent in the first quarter.
Events & AwardsJul 16, 2026
MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program Certifies First Advanced Apprentice GraduateThe graduate, Grace Barden, credited the program with helping her secure a job as a bench jeweler.
Events & AwardsJul 16, 2026
Jewelers of Louisiana to Host 80th ConventionThe event, scheduled for next month in New Orleans, will include dinner, a custom jewelry design contest, and education sessions.
SourcingJul 15, 2026
1,305-Carat Diamond Recovered from Mine in BotswanaThe yet-to-be named stone is the 10th diamond weighing more than 1,000 carats to come out of Lucara’s Karowe mine.
FinancialsJul 15, 2026
Watches of Switzerland’s US Sales Jump 18%, Declines to Comment on Sale Report The watch and jewelry retailer had a strong fiscal year despite what its CEO described as a “complex operating backdrop.”
Events & AwardsJul 15, 2026
Hamptons Jewelry Show to Return in JulyThe open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.
CollectionsJul 15, 2026
Pomellato’s New High Jewelry Is LiberatingBold color, expressive gem-setting, and sculptural form define the three chapters that make up “Stile Libero.”
ColumnistsJul 14, 2026
Sherry Smith: What Today’s Jewelry Consumer Is Telling Us Rising revenue does not automatically mean a healthy business, particularly in the current economic landscape, Smith writes.
TrendsJul 14, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Shoulder Dusters These long, fluid drop earrings are sure to catch the eye.
CrimeJul 14, 2026
Man Charged in $1M Jewelry Store Heist Lands on FBI Most Wanted ListAlberto Perez-Elias is one of four men charged with robbing a Cape Coral, Florida, jewelry store and is the only one still at large.
Events & AwardsJul 14, 2026
Conference on Mining, Sustainability Kicks Off in NYCInitiatives in Art and Culture is hosting its 16th annual Gold and Diamond Conference, with the theme of “Resilience.”
Lab-GrownJul 13, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb Changes Her Mind on Lab-Grown DiamondsThe designer, who once said she’d never sell lab-grown diamonds, debuted two capsule collections designed to be fun and easy to wear.
SourcingJul 13, 2026
De Beers Announces Potential Layoffs, 2-Year Production Pause at VenetiaThe diamond miner and marketer is undergoing another round of cost-cutting measures ahead of its sale by Anglo American.
Events & AwardsJul 13, 2026
Registration Opens for JIS Fall 2026 ShowThe annual trade-only buying event is slated for Oct. 16-19 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Events & AwardsJul 13, 2026
AGTA Accepting Entries for Spectrum 2026AGTA also has announced the lineup of judges for the colored gemstone cutting and jewelry design contest’s various categories.
TechnologyJul 10, 2026
There’s a New Blind Box for Luxury Watches Collectibles platform Arena Club’s new Time Boxes could contain a Rolex or Patek Philippe watch.
TrendsJul 10, 2026
Jade Trau Creates a Constellation of DiamondsThe “Constellation Plié” collar, our Piece of the Week, features diamonds arranged in a constellation of shining stars.
SourcingJul 10, 2026
CFO of De Beers’ Consumer-Facing Division Leaves Company Shaun Wills joined the company in 2024 and was chief financial officer of the De Beers Brands and Consumer Markets division.
WatchesJul 10, 2026
Brilliant Earth Expands Into WatchesIn honor of its 20th anniversary, the jewelry brand has released a limited-edition collection of Swiss-made timepieces.
