SurveysNov 10, 2025
5 Things Retailers Should Know About Holiday Shoppers This YearColumnistsDec 09, 2025
Holiday Sales Happen in December, Most Decisions Don’t
Most customers who walk into your store this month have made up their minds. Your job is to validate their choice, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
Emmanuel Raheb is the CEO of Smart Age Solutions, a digital ad agency and coveted Premier Google Partner. Contact him at eraheb@smartagesolutions.com.
December is here. If your store feels busy, that’s good but don’t kid yourself.
Most of the people walking in have already made up their minds. They’ve been looking, comparing, and thinking, long before you even noticed.
In October and November, they were deciding who they could trust.
By the time they step into your store in December, your job isn’t to convince them. It’s to reassure them that they made the right decision.
Too many jewelers miss this memo completely, and that is where the problem lies.
Many retailers wait until December to “sell the holidays,” falsely believing that last-minute promotions or flashy store displays will be enough.
The customers you’re trying to reach have already tuned out that noise.
They aren’t impulsive; they’re more deliberate and thoughtful. They want guidance, not urgency.
They want to feel confident, not pressured.
A customer walking in this month isn’t asking you to persuade them; they’re asking you to help validate their choice.
Many of your potential customers made up their minds weeks ago.
So, what can you do? Here are a few ways you still can influence their decision and capture the sale.
Most of the people walking in have already made up their minds. They’ve been looking, comparing, and thinking, long before you even noticed.
In October and November, they were deciding who they could trust.
By the time they step into your store in December, your job isn’t to convince them. It’s to reassure them that they made the right decision.
Too many jewelers miss this memo completely, and that is where the problem lies.
Many retailers wait until December to “sell the holidays,” falsely believing that last-minute promotions or flashy store displays will be enough.
The customers you’re trying to reach have already tuned out that noise.
They aren’t impulsive; they’re more deliberate and thoughtful. They want guidance, not urgency.
They want to feel confident, not pressured.
A customer walking in this month isn’t asking you to persuade them; they’re asking you to help validate their choice.
Many of your potential customers made up their minds weeks ago.
So, what can you do? Here are a few ways you still can influence their decision and capture the sale.
“Your digital presence is not an option; it’s the first impression.” — Emmanuel Raheb, Smart Age Solutions
First, focus on being clear. Make it easy for people to choose you. Educate them.
Send an email explaining how to pick jewelry styles for everyday wear.
Post an Instagram story showing how a custom piece is made. Include information about timing, when pieces can be ready, what’s realistic for shipping, and how to handle returns or exchanges if needed after the holidays.
These are small touches, but they remove doubt, something discounts alone can’t do.
Customers always notice the difference between being guided and being sold to. You want to be helpful, not hostile.
Second, remember, mobile is where most of the action is happening.
Browsing often happens at night, on a phone, next to a partner, or in the middle of life.
Customers are comparing jewelry stores, saving images of styles they love, and making mental lists of what they want to buy or receive.
If your emails are not formatted to display properly or your website is slow or cluttered, you’re invisible before you even get a chance to talk to them.
This is the reality of jewelry shopping today. Your digital presence is not an option; it’s the first impression.
Third, repetition matters more than urgency.
Customers rarely act after a single exposure. Seeing your jewelry store consistently across all your digital marketing channels (email, social media, pay-per-click, and display ads) helps create familiarity. Familiarity builds trust, and trust builds sales.
One helpful message a week beats three frantic pushes in late December.
Consistency tells the customer that you are reliable, approachable, and ready to guide them with care. You become the jeweler of choice, not chance.
“If your posts feel warm and approachable, but your in-store experience feels unfriendly, rushed or transactional, hesitation will grow.” — Emmanuel Raheb, Smart Age Solutions
Finally, being in total alignment is critical. Your online presence and your jewelry showroom both need to feel like the same store.
If your posts feel warm and approachable, but your in-store experience feels unfriendly, rushed, or transactional, hesitation will grow.
When everything has the same tone, visuals, and experience, the customer moves naturally from research to purchase. Sales become frictionless.
December might feel too late, but it’s not entirely hopeless. There’s still an opportunity for you to guide customers, earn their confidence, and close more holiday sales.
But the bigger lesson is for 2026: start earlier, communicate consistently, and educate long before trying to sell.
Yes, sales happen in December, but decisions happen much earlier.
Jewelers who understand this and act on it don’t just survive the holidays. They dominate them, year after year.
More on Columnists
The Latest
Events & AwardsMay 22, 2026
Instore Buys JA New York ShowThe deal closed this week, which means Instore will produce the JA NY show slated to take place this fall.
FinancialsMay 22, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Brands Lead the Charge in Q4The company’s jewelry sales were up in Q4 and the fiscal year, with Richemont raising prices in part because of the cost of gold.
CollectionsMay 22, 2026
Leigh Maxwell Celebrates 5 Years at Couture With ‘Bauble’ CollectionThe “Bauble” capsule collection of colorful one-of-a-kinds includes our Piece of the Week, the “Bauble” earrings, featuring rose zircon.
Brought to you by
All Eyes on Gold Prices. Alternatives to Look For. And What to BEWARE of in VegasAs gold prices rise, today’s retailers are looking for alternatives at prices that will appeal to wider audiences.
MajorsMay 22, 2026
Stuller’s New Packaging, Display Catalog Is Out The updated catalog has a newly dedicated section for gift wrapping.
Weekly QuizMay 21, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
PodcastsMay 21, 2026
Episode 5: Sotheby’s Frank Everett Puts the Auction Market in PerspectiveEverett covers colored stones’ surging popularity, the mellow return of the “Mellon Blue,” and his “The Devil Wears Prada” doppelgänger.
IndependentsMay 21, 2026
Springer’s Jewelers’ New Flagship Will Serve Next-Gen Luxury ShoppersFourth-generation CEO Lilly Mullen wants to emphasize experience, connection, and personalized service.
Brought to you by
How Modern Training Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Jewelry RetailersWith the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.
Events & AwardsMay 21, 2026
JA Announces Nina Pugliese Memorial ScholarshipThe new award, created in partnership with Henne Jewelers, honors the late designer’s legacy through supporting jewelry education.
SourcingMay 21, 2026
Botswana, Angola Join WFDBThe addition of the diamond-producing countries as nation affiliated members broadens the federation’s global representation, WFDB said.
CrimeMay 20, 2026
NYPD Warns of Jewelry Swap Scams Targeting SeniorsThe NYPD is warning elderly New Yorkers to keep their jewelry hidden when walking outside to avoid being a target.
IndependentsMay 20, 2026
Adornment & Theory’s New Store Feels Like Home Designer Viviana Langhoff has realized her dream of owning a space for her Chicago jewelry store that looks and feels like her brand.
Events & AwardsMay 20, 2026
Here Is Couture’s 2026 Education Lineup The sessions will run from Friday, May 29, to Sunday, May 31, with one being a live taping of an episode of Couture’s podcast.
Lab-GrownMay 20, 2026
Savannah Friedkin Jewelry Names New CEOFormer Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry executive Morgan P. Richardson is joining the lab-grown diamond jewelry brand.
WatchesMay 19, 2026
Here’s the AP x Swatch Pocket Watch That Caused PandemoniumThe $400 pocket watch is a blend of Audemars Piguet’s iconic eight-sided Royal Oak and Swatch’s unserious Pop watches from the ‘80s.
CollectionsMay 19, 2026
Chris Ploof’s New Collection Makes an Ancient Metal ModernWith gold prices on the rise, the “Modern Electrum” collection uses an alternative, non-tarnishing metal alloy composed of gold and silver.
IndependentsMay 19, 2026
Ellen and Michael Fruchtman Retire, Sell Marketing Agency Fruchtman Marketing has new owners, Erin Moyer-Carballea and Manuel Carballea, and will relocate to Miami.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Foundrae’s New Collection Taps Into JoyThe “Limitless Expansion of Joy and Hope” collection evokes summer through colored gemstones and motifs of butterflies and florals.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Hancocks London Acquires Historic ‘Inchiquin’ EmeraldThe jewel, circa 1890, is from the late Victorian era and was owned by descendants of the last high king of Ireland.
Events & AwardsMay 18, 2026
Here Are the 2026 JCK Industry Fund Grant Recipients This is what the nine recipients plan to do with the funds.
AuctionsMay 15, 2026
American Collector Ponies Up Almost $17K for John Wayne’s RingThe Western star’s 14-karat gold signet ring sold for six times its low estimate following a bidding war at U.K. auction house Elmwood’s.
Events & AwardsMay 15, 2026
JA, MJSA To Sponsor Roundtable at TJSThe discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," will take place on Saturday, May 16, in Troy, Michigan.
SourcingMay 15, 2026
State of Diamonds: The Way Forward for Natural DiamondsThe jewelry industry is reassessing its positioning as Gen Z reshapes the retail landscape and lab grown continues to gain market share.
AuctionsMay 14, 2026
White Diamonds Lead Sotheby’s Auction, Blue Diamond Does Not SellA matching pair of 18.38-carat, D-color diamonds from Botswana’s Jwaneng mine sold for $3.3 million, the top lot of the jewelry auction.
Supplier BulletinMay 14, 2026
A Diamond Is Forever Continues Desert Diamonds – Bridal ReinvigoratedSponsored by A Diamond Is Forever
SourcingMay 14, 2026
State of Colored Stones: The Spirit of Young American Gemstone CuttersThe next generation of lapidarists are entrepreneurial, engaged online, and see the craft as a means for artistic expression.
AuctionsMay 14, 2026
‘Ocean Dream’ Makes Waves at Christie’s, Fetching $17MIt was the second auction appearance for the fancy vivid blue-green diamond, which sold for $7.8 million at Christie’s Geneva 12 years ago.
