Do You — or Don’t You: Do you do your own taxes?

BY INSTORE TEAM

Published in the May 2012 issue

49% YES, I HAVE
 

Before we take on a new line we do a lot of research to evaluate its presence online and to see if it’s discounted. — Kathy Corey, Day’s Jewelers, Waterville, ME

If a potential client wants our ring with his stone purchased online, we decline the sale. — John Anthony; John Anthony Jewellers, Kitchener, ON

I keep the Blue Nile website bookmarked and show it to customers and explain that I will match prices for like items. — Murphy McMahon, Murphy McMahon & Co., Kalispell, MT We use the example that every diamond is unique, and picking one out on the Internet is like picking out your fiancée using a stack of driver’s licenses. They often get the point. — Chuck Kuba, Iowa Diamond, Des Moines, IA

We compete with Blue Nile by actually showing stones and educating the client. They most often don’t mind paying a little more for the one-on-one sales presentation. — Michael Cook, Walter J. Cook Jeweler, Paoli, PA

It’s caused me to list prices for most everything. — Bill Warren, The Gold Mine, Hudson, NC

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. We set up a storefront on Amazon. com in addition to our website and Etsy.com store. The Internet is a great marketing tool, and we are using these sites to promote our hand-fabricated jewelry. — Francis Lynch, The Jeweler Studio, Mount Dora, FL

We emphasize the ability to touch and compare which is not doable on the Internet. — R.G. Carreras, Carreras Ltd., Richmond, VA

51% NO, I HAVEN'T

We have not changed anything. We do give the best quality with the best service we can. This has worked for over 65 years, and it looks good for the future. — John Anthony Jr., John Anthony Jewelers, Bala-Cynwyd, PA

The industry is split into two groups: 1. the merchants, and 2. the real jewelers who are able to create jewelry in-house. The latter has a good chance of survival. — Klaus Kutter, A Jour Inc., Bristol, RI