Retailer Profile:
Oshawa Jewellery
“It warms my heart that our family is in this business together. I just came from a conference that I shared with my husband and son and his family and it was amazing. We work together, we get to travel together—I feel so lucky, I pinch myself every morning!” Rachel expresses her feeling of good fortune and gratitude freely, not only for the joy of spending so much time with family, but also for the chance to learn and grow in such a fascinating industry.
Humble beginnings Raised on an Israeli kibbutz, Rachel emigrated to Canada in 1968. After her son was born, Rachel started considering a career in jewellery. A relative in the business trusted her with some initial pieces and she started hosting wine, cheese and jewellery parties and sold pieces at flea markets. She began attending industry events to observe and learn about jewellery. Rachel set up her first small shop in downtown Oshawa after that in 1983, which was the beginning of Oshawa Jewellery.
Giving back Many years later, Rachel remembers with gratitude those in the Oshawa community who supported her first store, and is happy
36
CANADIANJEWELLER.COM
CJ Retailer Profile.indd 36
to be able to pay that sentiment forward. As well as investing in new retail space and online engagement tools, she invests in her team as well. “I treat them like family, and many of them have been with me for years—someone just retired who was with us for 30 years. I value their opinions, and we talk about our lives. If they want to learn—take a gemology or accounting course—I will pay for it. I know it can only make the business better. I think if I’m invested in them, they’re invested in me.” The team receives renowned Friedman Group retail training, as well as specialized training and mentorship from management at Oshawa Jewellery. Rachel has created a warm retail environment for customers with an engaged team, inviting open space concept, and a full suite of service offerings. The store has a jeweller on the premises, allowing for fast turnaround for customer requests. They also do watch repairs and maintenance and specialize in creating custom jewellery using CAD design techniques. Rachel also says, “We have Tacori, Verragio, RND, and Noam Carver engagement rings; beautiful watches from Tag Heuer, Gucci, Hamilton, Montblanc, and Tissot—all these gorgeous brands available here in Oshawa, so our customers don’t have to run to Toronto.”
SPRING 2018
2018-02-26 2:15 PM