CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Taylor Swift’s ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ Video Puts Jewelry Front and CenterIconic pieces, like the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara, appear in the superstar’s new music video for her song inspired by the actress.
OtherApr 22, 2015
6 display changes that will increase sales
Stocking bridal merchandise by style instead of vendor and looking like the store you want to become are two ways retailers can increase revenues, an author and consultant said in an education session held Wednesday at AGS Conclave 2015.
New Orleans--Stocking bridal merchandise by style rather than vendor and looking like the store you want to become are two ways jewelers can increase revenues, author and consultant Larry Johnson said in an education session held Wednesday at American Gem Society Conclave 2015.
“The purpose of displays is to sell jewelry,” Johnson said. “A good display takes planning and takes intention. A good display sells jewelry.”
Below are the six steps he recommends jewelers take to update their displays in order to increase sales.
1. Display with intention to match your store goals. “The main problem I run into over and over again is that people don’t display merchandise with a strategy toward what they most want to sell,” Johnson said. “You want that piece to be very evident and very obvious. Don’t just work to fit everything in a showcase--work to present it better and get it out of the showcase.”
Tracking the success of displays also is important.
“If you’re going to move things around in the case, or if you’re trying different types of window displays, take photos of what it looks like,” he added, giving the example of a holiday window display. “Go back in January and look at that photo, and look at the sales of what you were trying to promote. You have to have a metric by which you can measure the outcome of what you do in your store.”
2. Allocate your showcase space to match your store goals. “Look like the store you want to become,” Johnson said. “Have a specific goal and intention so you know where you’re going. Aim for where you want to be, not where you are now.”
Does that 4-foot display sell enough to justify its space? Make sure your goals and showcase space allocation match up, he said.
3. Implement the 20-40-40 Rule. “Think of it as a good-better-best approach,” Johnson said.
The top 20 percent of your merchandise in a specific vignette or case should be displayed on individual elements, and the middle 40 percent of merchandise is displayed on trays that hold three to five pieces. The bottom 40 percent of merchandise should be displayed on trays that hold five, seven or more pieces, to emphasize selection.
“It matches what you’re saying about the jewelry,” he added. “It follows the concept of being unique. We’re displaying the merchandise to
match how we’re going to talk about it--we’re displaying with intention.”
4. Win the comparison in your customer’s mind. If you can control the comparison, you can control the outcome of the sale. Use the Goldilocks principle: not too hot, not too cold, but just right.
4. Win the comparison in your customer’s mind. If you can control the comparison, you can control the outcome of the sale. Use the Goldilocks principle: not too hot, not too cold, but just right.
“Make certain you offer something that’s the (colloquial) ‘$400 bottle of wine’, so you sell more of the lower-priced wine,” Johnson said. “When you’re displaying different items, make what you want to sell the third choice.”
5. Reconsider your bridal layout. When you organize by designer, you’re forcing yourself to make two sales instead of one. Organize by ring style, not vendor.
6. Move out old, dead stock. “If you’ve had it that long, it isn’t going to sell,” Johnson said, “and it has a 90 percent chance of still being there in 10 years.”
Johnson is the CEO of Colleyville, Texas-based Larry Johnson Consulting and the author of The Complete Guide to Effective Jewelry Display. He also contributes to InStore and Canadian Jeweller and is affiliated with The Edge Retail Academy.
AGS Conclave, which is taking place in New Orleans this year, concludes Saturday.
More on Other
The Latest
MajorsApr 03, 2026
Saks Global Says It Will Emerge From Bankruptcy This SummerThe luxury retailer, which went Chapter 11 in January, announced Thursday that it has secured $500 million in exit financing.
Events & AwardsApr 03, 2026
JCK Luxury, NouvelleBox Partner on New Designer BallroomThe NouvelleBox ballroom will feature independent jewelry designers, including Lene Vibe, Wyld Box Jewelry, and Kiaia Limited.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Buddha Mama Brings Its ‘Moon’ Locket To DallasThe one-of-a-kind locket, our Piece of the Week, opens to reveal three hidden images to keep close to your heart.
Weekly QuizApr 02, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff ConcernsThe new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce InitiativeThe initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
