SECTION RESORT SECTION SPECIAL
Methods for Successful Selling Jewelry at Resorts By Sara Karnish
A
s COVID-related travel restrictions lift and people return to new and familiar vacation destinations, retail sales are picking up. Jewelry remains a top selling item as vacationers look for extra-special mementos of their visit. Resort gift shop retailers interviewed for this article said selling pieces by local artisans and crafters, offering a selection of lines at various price points, and making the items visible and accessible, are just a few successful methods for selling jewelry.
92
“Choose about four or five different lines and keep them well-stocked so they are consistently displayed properly,” said Chris Wedel, buyer for Inn at the Tides in Bodega Bay, Calif. “The idea is there is something for everyone when they walk in the shop no matter how much they want to spend.” Styling the pieces is also critical to closing a sale. “[A top tip] is accessibility and allowing people to touch and try on the jewelry,” said Holly M. Laughridge, director of Retail and Purchasing and manager of Acorns shop at Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands, N.C. “We have full-length mirrors near our jewelry displays so people can try things on without assistance. Our finest
Jewelry by Elizabeth Locke Jewelry is available at the Old Edwards Inn and Spa Acorns store. Fine jewelry such as this, as well as Temple St. Clair, JudeFrances, and Monica Rich Kossann jewelry, is kept in locked cases at the store.
Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties | August/September 2021 | www.sgnmag.com
Acorns shop at Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands, N.C. , employee Tsering showing Elizabeth Locke Jewelry. The store lets customers touch and try on jewelry and has full length mirrors near the displays.