Majors

Here’s How Signet Is Reopening Its Stores

MajorsJun 11, 2020

Here’s How Signet Is Reopening Its Stores

Curbside pickup with a password, social distancing in stores, masked employees and more.

20200611_Signet_social_distancing.jpg
Signet Jewelers Ltd., the largest jeweler in North America, is asking both employees and customers to social distance at the stores it’s reopened, though it opted not to put any marks on the floor indicating six-foot intervals. (Photo courtesy of Signet Jewelers)

Akron, Ohio—Signet Jewelers Ltd. announced Tuesday that it has reopened 1,100 of its 3,000-plus stores, with 80 percent fully open to the public and the remaining 20 percent doing curbside pickup only.

Over the past six weeks, the retailer’s opened the doors of stores in the South and Midwest—Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and Texas—as well as in Arizona and California.

The states with the highest number of reopened stores are Texas and Florida, with more than 120 Signet-owned banners operating again in both.

All employees are wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and implementing “rigorous new sanitizing protocols.” They also wear gloves when needed.

Health and safety for customers and employees is the retailer’s “priority topic” right now, Bill Luth, the company’s executive vice president of global store operations, said in an interview Wednesday.

Signet initially had employees sign a statement each day verifying they’d taken their temperature and felt ready and willing to work.

Now the company is in the process of delivering contactless thermometers to all stores so managers can take each employee’s temperature.

Customers will see employees regularly cleaning frequently touched surfaces like the counters and door handles, and using alcohol wipes to clean each item before and after the customer tries it on.

Luth said they are using cleaning products listed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

At first, the massive retailer had its store managers procuring cleaning products locally, and Luth said they had the best luck finding what they needed from “non-traditional” supply sources, places like hardware stores and Tractor Supply stores

Now, Signet is able to buy these items in the quantity it needs so it is distributing them centrally. “As we sit today, we’ve been able to find it on scale so we don’t have the problems we did a month ago,” Luth said.

The company asks store managers to keep a two-week supply on hand and, if they run low, to procure them locally again.

Customers are not made to wear masks (unless it is required by local law) but employees are and Signet is also trying out face shields, gauging customer perception and the feeling of its team members.

Luth said the company is also testing portable countertop plexiglass screens, 3-x-3 barriers that sales associates can move along the counter as they help a customer.

Employee-only areas, like breakrooms and back offices, are cleaned once a day, while low-touch customer

access areas—for example, try-on mirrors—are cleaned every three to four hours.

High-touch customer areas like register PIN pads, iPads, and merchandise are cleaned before and after every use.

And, Luth said, there is signage at every store detailing what the chain is doing to keep its stores clean and safe.

What About Ear Piercing?
Among Signet’s banners is Piercing Pagoda, the chain of mall kiosks that’s been piercing ears since 1969.

Although it represents a small percentage of the retailer’s overall sales, it consistently is one of its strongest performers.

Last year, Piercing Pagoda recorded the highest increase in year-over-year same-store sales of any of Signet’s brick-and-mortar banners. Comps for the chain of kiosks rose 11 percent, topped only by James Allen (12 percent increase).

But, right now, the Pagoda isn’t piercing any ears.

“We’re being really thoughtful about that approach,” Luth said Wednesday. “When we opened Piercing Pagoda, we did not open with piercing services.”

Signet is considering using both masks and face shields and is looking—“I’m saying ‘look’ because we’re not there yet,” he noted—to take customers’ temperature before piercing.

Luth also said the company is currently not taking in any jewelry for repair or watches for battery replacements but will be adding more services in the coming weeks.

Their goal in reopening was to first, make a clean and safe environment, and also not to overwhelm employees who are returning to work, and might be nervous about it, with a full suite of services and a long list of new rules.

“Everyone’s building new muscles. Execution is the key,” Luth said. “How do we make sure every customer’s experience is the same experience over and over?”

The Curbside Experience
Of Signet’s 1,100 stores that are open again, 220 are doing curbside pickup only, an extension of buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS), and something Signet has never had before.

Customers book a time online to come pick up their jewelry during store hours. When booking, they’re given a secret password that they have to recite when they park at the designated curbside location.

An employee greets the customer from a safe distance, confirms the identity via the password, and then places the jewelry bag inside the customer’s vehicle.


Signet is doing curbside pickup only at 220 of the 1,100 stores it’s reopened so far. This includes mall stores, and Luth said they’re working with mall operators on the best way to execute the pickups. (Photo courtesy of Signet Jewelers)


Signet said it plans to expand this service to more stores as they reopen.

Going forward, Luth said he expects curbside pickup will become a “standard” in retail, with the pandemic redefining what customers will expect from brick-and-mortar stores in the same way Uber rewrote the rules for taxis and car services.

He rattles off a list of just a few of the retailers now doing curbside pickup: Walmart, Target, Kroger, Best Buy.

“If we don’t prepare to support that service for our customer, once again jewelry would look like an antiquated arm of retail,” Luth said.

“If you don’t do that, customers look at you like you’re out of it.”

2020 Outlook
Signet CEO Gina Drosos said on the company’s earnings call Tuesday the retailer will have at least 75 percent of its stores open by month’s end. This includes all stores in the U.K., which are set to open June 15.

The retailer, which was forced to close all its stores in mid-March as the coronavirus pandemic swept across North America and Europe, saw same-store sales drop nearly 40 percent in the first quarter as it pivoted to online-only sales.

As of Feb. 1, the Akron, Ohio-based jewelry retailer had 3,208 stores: 2,757 in North America and 451 in the U.K.

Drosos said Tuesday the retailer cut its store count by 13 percent last year, closing stores in D-class malls and almost all regional banners. Luth said only a “handful” of regional brands still exist; the company’s long-term goal is to close them all.

This year, Signet will shutter at least 380 stores. There will be 150 stores in North America and 80 in Europe that simply won’t reopen following the pandemic, and the company forecasts it will have to close another 150 locations.

Luth said the company will monitor customer response at these stores, letting them run through the summer and holidays.

By the end of the fiscal year, Signet’s physical footprint will have shrunk by 20 percent in the past two years.
Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

The Latest

Movado Connect 2.0 watches
FinancialsMay 30, 2025
Movado’s Q1 Sales Slip Amid ‘Challenging’ Retail Environment

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Zoë Chicco Bracelets
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Tariffs & Designers: Navigating Pricing in an Unstable Environment

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Renato Cipullo Hematite Blaze Necklace
CollectionsMay 30, 2025
Piece of the Week: Renato Cipullo’s ‘Hematite Blaze’ Necklace

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

Article Image 1.png
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Stock image of shipping containers
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Trade Court Declares Trump’s Tariffs Invalid

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

Weekly QuizMay 30, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Britney Spears
CollectionsMay 29, 2025
Britney Spears Files Trademark for New Jewelry Line

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Inoveo Platinum Grain image.jpg
Supplier BulletinMay 29, 2025
Inoveo Platinum Grain, Exclusively Distributed by Stuller

Sponsored by Stuller

antique_Vegas_2024_by_headshot_stories_9454.jpg
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the Globe

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

Grizzly Mining Pilala emerald
SourcingMay 29, 2025
Grizzly Auctions 6,620-Carat Emerald

It was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.

GemFind Logo
TechnologyMay 29, 2025
GemFind Launches AI Product Description Software

GemText AI uses artificial intelligence to generate tailored product titles, descriptions, and tags with jewelry-specific language.

Kim Kardashian
CrimeMay 28, 2025
8 Convicted in Kim Kardashian Jewelry Heist Trial

Aging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.

New York Liberty 2024 WNBA Championship Ring
CollectionsMay 28, 2025
NY Liberty’s 2024 Championship Rings Honor Historic Win

The WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.

Logos for Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America and Jewelers of America
MajorsMay 27, 2025
MJSA to Become Part of Jewelers of America

The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

Al Capone Pocket Watch
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
Al Capone’s Patek Philippe Pocket Watch Back Up for Auction

The platinum and diamond watch is part of Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches sale.

Kat Florence Lumina
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
182-Carat Paraíba-Type Tourmaline Sells for $487K

Recovered in Mozambique, “The Kat Florence Lumina” was part of Bonhams’ Hong Kong jewelry auction held last week.

Mark Henry Gumdrop Bypass Ring
TrendsMay 27, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Candy-Colored Gemstones

Get a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.

Stock image of police cars with their lights on
CrimeMay 23, 2025
JSA Shares Holiday Weekend Security Tips Amid Spike in Burglaries

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

Bliss Lau Bright Ring
CollectionsMay 23, 2025
Piece of the Week: Bliss Lau’s ‘Bright’ Ring

From Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.

GIA pearl report
GradingMay 23, 2025
GIA Updates Pearl Classification System

The lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.

GCALbySarine Diamond Journey Certificate_1872x1052.jpg
Supplier BulletinMay 22, 2025
How to Put Natural Diamonds Back in the Spotlight

Sponsored by GCAL by Sarine

The late West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger
CrimeMay 22, 2025
NY Jeweler Sentenced in Shoving Death of Colleague at IJO Show

David Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.

Watches of Switzerland store in Mall of America
FinancialsMay 22, 2025
Watches of Switzerland’s Full-Year U.S. Sales Climb 14%

The retailer also provided an update on how the tariffs situation in the U.S. is affecting its business.

Jorge Adeler, Wendy Adeler, Valentina Adeler
IndependentsMay 22, 2025
Adeler Jewelers Celebrates 50 Years

The family-owned jeweler in Great Falls, Virginia, will be celebrating its golden jubilee with a year’s worth of events.

Jose Hess Design Awards 2025 Trophy
Events & AwardsMay 22, 2025
Jose Hess Design Awards Announce Judges

The nonprofit elected five judges who will decide the winners of its design competition.

MJSA 2025-2026 Buyer’s Guide
MajorsMay 22, 2025
MJSA Releases 2025-2026 Buyer’s Guide

This year’s edition includes articles on the favorite tools of notable designers, evaluating when to outsource production, and more.

Bulgari Invisible Violet Necklace and Rainbow Flow Necklace
CollectionsMay 21, 2025
Bulgari Highlights Its Colorful Past in Phenomenal ‘Polychroma’ Collection

The jeweler’s high jewelry collection features extraordinary gemstones, like a 241.06-carat emerald and the world’s fourth-largest spinel.

Industry analyst Edahn Golan
ColumnistsMay 21, 2025
Edahn’s Take: Analyzing the 2025 ‘$100 Million Supersellers’ List

In a special column for the State of the Majors, Edahn Golan breaks down what the top-performing fine jewelry sellers are doing right.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy