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Your Monthly Guide to August Jewelry Store Planning

October Jewelry Store Planning Notebook Header

How to create a successful August agenda

With August upon us, the summer doldrums are finally coming to an end. While some markets thrive from summer tourism, others have seen a slump over the past few months. But at last, the kids head back to school while vacationers wind down and return to their work lives. By this time next month, we’ll be knee-deep in holiday preparation. So if your store feels a bit sluggish today, no worries. Consider this the calm before the holiday storm.

 

In fact, focus this month on laying the groundwork for a successful holiday season ahead. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” Take the time this month to organize your workspace, strategize, and adjust inventory.

Here are a few ways to steer your jewelry store planning to create a solid foundation for your busy holiday operations—

Organize Your Space to Maximize Productivity

Optimize your workspace

Organize in a way that works best for you. Assign each tool a designated space and label its location so you can easily spot when anything is out of place. For more suggestions on how to organize your bench, click here.

Tidy up!

Look over all the loose ends lingering around your store. Send your scrap to our Metal Clean Scrap program to generate cash, a Stuller credit, or a combination of both. Learn how to maximize your gold recovery returns here.

Declutter

Purge the old books and files you no longer need. You’ll be glad once the busy holiday season rolls around.

Jewelry store planning organized bench mike menard
Mike Menard of Menard Fine Jewelry shows us how he keeps his bench tidy and tools in place

If Business is Really Sluggish:

Use your downtime for painting, restorations, and store repair. Revamping your store’s appearance will make passersby take a second look! And jump-start your fall cleaning efforts. Here are a few pointers on how to freshen up your store.

Strategize – Begin Your Store Planning Now

Start with your business plan

If you don’t have a written plan in place, now’s the time to get one started. Let’s walk you through business planning fundamentals. 

Map out your marketing campaigns

Arrange and execute photography/videography that will carry you through the next few months. Want a shortcut to professional photography? Join Stuller First®. Its low flat rate shipping gives you a very profitable advantage, and among its benefits, you get access to our Marketing Image Portal, a vast resource of professional photography. As always, our marketing materials are yours to share. If you want to shoot your own images, get picture perfect inspiration from @everandeverbridal, @theknotrings, and @oliveavejewelry on Instagram.

Plan an event

August and September are ideal months for customer events. Try a Rocks on the Rocks party or host your own Stackable Session to foster lasting customer relationships.

If Business is Really Sluggish:

Read a book. No really, read a book! Choose from the wide selection that can help strengthen your business practices. We love Malcolm Gladwell’s work, especially David and GoliathThe Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier is quite thought to provoke, and so is Competing Against Luck by Clayton M. Christensen, et al.

Jewelry store planning August strategy

Situate Inventory for the Holiday Season

Clean your cases

As you and sales staff place and retrieve merchandise, your glass cases get smudged. Set up a routine, so your sale staff does this when they’re not working with customers. And be sure to shine the pieces that have sat in your cases all year.

Dare to design

Use CounterSketch® or Matrix® to create fresh new designs that will drive your holiday traffic.

Stock up!

It’s never too early to begin producing Christmas stock.

If Business is Really Sluggish:

Inventory and re-count your whole store. This will give you a good idea on exactly what you’ve got heading into the holiday season. If you have inventory that hasn’t moved for quite some time, hold a summer sale with modest markdowns to attract transactions.

What’s on your list for August jewelry store planning? We’d love to hear your feedback on this post. Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kyle Carriere

I've been with Stuller since June 2016 • I make the blog happen • Recent marketing graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette • Spotify is my favorite app • Music festival-goer • I endorse Pop's Poboys in downtown Lafayette wholeheartedly • GIFs and memes are my second language • Best advice I can offer: Everything will turn out alright.