Some retailers are taking a nuanced approach to marketing what can be a difficult holiday for many.
Shinola to open as many as 6 US stores next year
Watch company Shinola is mapping out locations for new standalone stores in the United States in 2015, its CEO Steven Bock told National Jeweler.

Detroit--Watch and leather goods company Shinola is mapping out locations for new standalone stores in 2015, a strategy which CEO Steven Bock said allows the brand to tell its story and display its products in a consistent way.
The company could open up to six new locations in 2015, a goal that likely will carry through for a few years.
Bock told National Jeweler that the company wants to open five to six stores every year for the next several years, but also notes that for the company, they’re focused less on the quantity and more on finding the right markets and, within those, the right real estate.
“The stores give us the ability to really merchandise and present the brand and all of the component parts of the brand--so all of the different product categories--in a wonderfully consistent way,” Bock said. “And it’s those stores, tied into our website, that are driving the business by combining both web business and (retail stores), allowing our customer to see on our website how we merchandise and what we represent in terms of quality and value and design, and then to go into the store to see and feel the same thing.”
Shinola’s retail presence started with its original store in Detroit and then New York’s TriBeCa neighborhood.
Since then, the company has added locations in Minneapolis, Washington, D.C. and, most recently, in Los Angeles. It also added an international presence when it opened a standalone in London this fall.
Bock said Shinola is opening a store in Chicago within the next 30 days or so and a location in Ann Arbor, Mich. within the first three or four months of 2015.
He declined to give specifics past that, noting that they are still in negotiations for some openings.
When asked about how it will affect the wholesale business, Bock said that Shinola isn’t taking any focus away from that part of the company.
“(Our wholesalers) are doing a fantastic business for us so that within each major retailer we’re expanding, but we’re not looking to expand beyond those major retailers. When it comes to specialty stores, we’re very selective. We’ll expand those, but very gradually and in a very careful way.”
Along the same lines, the company just opened a watch dial manufacturing facility in its Detroit store, which features the dial factory behind a glass wall
“The idea always is to bring in and show the public increasingly more of what we’re doing from a manufacturing standpoint, so they can understand the details, the quality of the work, and can see what’s going on,” Bock said.
By the middle of next year, that store will expand from approximately 4,500 square feet to 11,000 square feet, he said--an expansion which seemingly mirrors the company’s overall growth plans.
“We’re growing quite quickly, but we’re always driven by the key factors that make a Shinola product, a Shinola product. And that is: the design, the value of the components, the quality of the work, the presentation and the consistency of everything we do. So 2014 has been a fantastic year for us, and we look forward to 2015 being very similar.”
The Latest

The Edge has announced its new CEO, as well as a new partnership with an investment firm focused on founder-led software businesses.

De Beers’ diamond production was up 17 percent in Q1, boosted by increased output at its mines in South Africa and Canada.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

A signet ring belonging to the Western film star of Hollywood’s Golden Age will be up for auction at Elmwood’s next month.


Importers can submit claims now to receive money back for the IEEPA tariffs they’ve paid, with refunds expected to take up to 90 days.

The owners of Gregory Jewelers in Morganton, North Carolina, are heading into retirement.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

The colored gemstone industry leader is heading into retirement after four years as the association’s CEO.

Susie Dewey joins the Natural Diamond Council as its new chief marketing officer.

The largest known fancy vivid blue-green diamond could fetch more than $12 million at its second auction appearance.

Emmanuel Raheb says jewelers need to start marketing early and make it easy for customers to pick a gift for mom.

In honor of the milestone, the Nebraska jeweler has debuted Leslie & Co., its new in-house jewelry brand.

The trade organization, which held its annual elections earlier this year, also added five new board members.

NRF’s annual survey found that 45 percent of consumers plan to purchase jewelry for a loved one this Mother’s Day.

The “Vault” charm, our Piece of the Week, expands on the memories that can be stored in a locket by connecting to your phone.

The open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.

The jeweler’s Mother’s Day campaign highlights the women who work there—mothers, grandmothers, women who want to be mothers, and dog moms.

Sponsored by Jewelers Mutual

The proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.

The Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece Astor brought aboard the ill-fated ship sold for double its estimate at a Freeman’s auction.

The “Dalí’s Garden” collection was inspired by a surreal dream Neeley had after cooking a recipe from Salvador Dalí’s 1973 cookbook.

Natalie Feanny has been appointed to the role.

The pair falsely claimed their jewelry was made by Navajo artists, but it was imported from Vietnam.

Julien’s Auctions is selling the musician’s fine and fashion jewelry alongside her clothing, gold records, and other memorabilia.

Rachel King’s book dives into the history of the pendant believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.

The company will have deals on precious metals testers as well as the latest in lab-grown diamond detection technology and security.
























