MajorsJan 09, 2026
Kendra Scott Taps Activewear Exec as CEO Chris Blakeslee has experience at Athleta and Alo Yoga. Kendra Scott will remain on board as executive chair and chief visionary officer.
OtherFeb 18, 2016
Column: Is Your Store’s Mantra Authentic?
Whether a store’s message is that it offers the “best service” or the “biggest selection,” jewelers better be able to back it up, Peter Smith writes.
I checked into a hotel in Denver last week and I was asked if I wanted to go “green” and earn additional points. When I asked what that actually meant I was told that if I elected to have no maid service for my hotel stay I would be awarded a block of points on my account.
When the lady at the hotel check-in asked me if I wanted to go green for my stay, I was, at first, anticipating a request to use the same sheets for the duration of my four nights; a commitment to recycle any paper, plastic or glass products; and a request to hang up my towels after each use instead of throwing them on the floor.
What I was not prepared for was having no housekeeping service whatsoever for the entirety of my stay.
When the extent of the request sunk in, I found myself, perhaps cynically, wondering if there was an ulterior motive. Were they asking me and their guests to be complicit in a sinister plan to reduce their housekeeping staff? How many “green guests” would it take to reduce the two maids per floor to just one? There were 10 floors in the hotel and I would imagine that cutting the housekeeping team in half would have represented a tidy little saving for the hotel.
As is often the case when I find myself giving vent to my cynical side, I quickly dismissed my early inclination when I entered my room and saw that there was a blue recycling bin in the room (a bare-bones essential that every single hotel and every single business ought to provide.)
After I showered the following morning, I hung my towel up and went about my day. When I returned that night, the towel had been removed and replaced with a fresh towel from the pile.
I was disappointed, as hanging a towel in a hotel typically signifies a desire on the part of the guest to re-use it. I then noticed that the soap I had opened and used the previous evening was also gone. The towel and the soap were replaced each of the four days that I stayed there.
As simple as it may have seemed, replacing a once-used bar of soap and a hanging towel seemed like a decidedly un-green practice to me. It underscored my initial instinct about the hotel’s real motivation for requesting guests go green.
While there was much to like about the hotel, I became convinced that there was a big disconnect between their stated aspirations to going green and their ability to live it throughout the hotel and the guest experiences. Why were there no signs in the bathrooms inviting guests to consider re-using towels? Why was there such a disparity between what the front desk was asking of guests and what the housekeeping staff was actually doing?
Every business and retail store has one or more mantras that they champion. For this particular hotel it was “go green;” for many stores it is a stated commitment to providing great service, or the best quality, or the best prices, or the biggest selection etc., etc.
Every business must decide what its own particular billboard will be, but whatever it is should be absolutely, positively authentic. It should be used because you really believe it and because you and your team live it with every customer contact and touchpoint. There should be a commitment to your mantra that is palpable throughout your organization.
What it is, to a great extent, is less important than that you actually live that commitment.
If you tell people that you have the best prices then you cannot use fiction-tickets that suggest one price so that you sell the goods for another.
If it is great service, then every customer visiting your store ought to notice and experience great service, and every employee should know from the minute you interview them that great service is ingrained in your DNA.
Dyer, Dalzell and Olegario wrote in Rising Tide, Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Build at Proctor & Gamble, “For a company to do the right thing every day, it must not only espouse the principle but also enact it.”
It’s the doing that matters. Make it real.
Peter Smith, author of Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent, has spent more than 30 years building sales teams at retail and at wholesale. He is president of Vibhor Gems and he has previously worked with companies such as Tiffany & Co., Montblanc and Hearts On Fire. Email him at peter@vibhorgems.com, dublinsmith@yahoo.com or reach him on LinkedIn.
More on Other
The Latest
SurveysJan 09, 2026
U.S. Holiday Retail Sales Up 4%, Visa, Mastercard SayThe credit card companies’ surveys examined where consumers shopped, what they bought, and what they valued this holiday season.
AuctionsJan 09, 2026
Christie’s Names New Global Managing Director for LuxuryKimberly Miller has been promoted to the role.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
CollectionsJan 09, 2026
Piece of the Week: Lionheart’s ‘Serenity’ Opal CharmThe “Serenity” charm set with 13 opals is a modern amulet offering protection, guidance, and intention, the brand said.
Weekly QuizJan 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsJan 08, 2026
Pandora’s New ‘Bridgerton’ Jewels Celebrate Bees, Bows, and Blooms“Bridgerton” actresses Hannah Dodd and Claudia Jessie star in the brand’s “Rules to Love By” campaign.
Events & AwardsJan 08, 2026
Ana Khouri To Receive 2026 Gem Award for High Jewelry ExcellenceFounded by jeweler and sculptor Ana Khouri, the brand is “expanding the boundaries of what high jewelry can be.”
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
TrendsJan 08, 2026
Stuller’s Color of the Year Is a Stark Contrast to Pantone’s WhiteThe jewelry manufacturer and supplier is going with a fiery shade it says symbolizes power and transformation.
CollectionsJan 08, 2026
Gracie Abrams To Front New Chanel Jewelry CampaignThe singer-songwriter will make her debut as the French luxury brand’s new ambassador in a campaign for its “Coco Crush” jewelry line.
MajorsJan 08, 2026
Diamond Council of America Names New Board DirectorsThe nonprofit’s new president and CEO, Annie Doresca, also began her role this month.
ColumnistsJan 07, 2026
Peter Smith: Physical Retail—The Beginning or the End?As the shopping mall model evolves and online retail grows, Smith shares his predictions for the future of physical stores.
Events & AwardsJan 07, 2026
Melee Adds 13 New Designers to NYC ShowThe trade show is slated for Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at The Lighthouse in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood.
TrendsJan 07, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Go for GarnetJanuary’s birthstone comes in a rainbow of colors, from the traditional red to orange, purple, and green.
SourcingJan 07, 2026
Diamonds Do Good Releases 2025 Impact ReportThe annual report highlights how it supported communities in areas where natural diamonds are mined, crafted, and sold.
CrimeJan 06, 2026
2 Jewelers Arrested After TraxNYC Diamond District BrawlFootage of a fight breaking out in the NYC Diamond District was viewed millions of times on Instagram and Facebook.
MajorsJan 06, 2026
Rio Grande Says These Are the Top Personalization Tools for 2026The supplier has a curated list of must-have tools for jewelers doing in-house custom work this year.
MajorsJan 06, 2026
Zales Tests Out A New LookThe Signet Jewelers-owned store, which turned 100 last year, calls its new concept stores “The Edit.”
MajorsJan 06, 2026
LeachGarner Appoints New Director of SalesLinda Coutu is rejoining the precious metals provider as its director of sales.
SourcingJan 06, 2026
AGA Announces 2026 BoardThe governing board welcomed two new members, Claire Scragg and Susan Eisen.
TrendsJan 05, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: New Year’s EditionSparkle with festive diamond jewelry as we celebrate the beginning of 2026.
IndependentsJan 05, 2026
Jeweler Ben Nighthorse Campbell Dies at 92The master jeweler, Olympian, former senator, and Korean War veteran founded the brand Nighthorse Jewelry.
TrendsJan 05, 2026
Pinterest 2026 Trend Report: Brooches, Bold Gold, Cool BlueIn its annual report, Pinterest noted an increase in searches for brooches, heirloom jewelry, and ‘80s luxury.
MajorsJan 02, 2026
Marc Metrick Out as CEO of Saks Global Executive Chairman Richard Baker will take over the role as rumors swirl that a bankruptcy filing is imminent for the troubled retailer.
Events & AwardsJan 02, 2026
Jan Mohr, Couture’s ‘North Star,’ Dies at 71Mohr had just retired in June after more than two decades as Couture’s retailer liaison.
SourcingJan 02, 2026
IDCA Elects New President, Board of DirectorsShekhar Shah of Real Gems Inc. will serve as president of the Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association in 2026.
CollectionsJan 02, 2026
Lalaounis’ 2026 Good Luck Charm Speaks to ResilienceThis year’s good luck charm features the mythical horse Pegasus, and is our first Piece of the Week of the new year.
