Instore Magazine • May 2025 • Best Of The Best

Washington, D.C.’s Tiny Jewel Box drew a crowd with a styling and piercing event.

This Montana-based couple turned a historic mansion into a one-of-a-kind retail experience.

Goldsmith/sales associate loves nature walks, eating out with friends and attending festivals.

AGREEMENTS ESTABLISHED before money changes hands are the agreements that will forever guide a relationship, says business author and ad man Roy H. Williams, so say the difficult thing up front. “The time to explain what will not be included is when the sale hasn’t yet been made. Clearly and memorably emphasize anything you need your customer to remember in the future,” he writes in his MondayMorningMemo newsletter. “To gloss over a possible disappointment during your presentation is to deceive your customer and poison their future trust in you,” he says. Remember, you have maximum credibility when you put the sale at risk.

SHANE DECKER Managers, what are the most important things you can do for your store owners and your sales teams? As a leader, motivator, teacher and coach, you have to train well, learn to delegate and recognize success. Read this online-only column to see how to do it. instoremag.com/decker0525

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HAVING HUNDREDS of prospective customers fill a store the day before Valentine’s Day is an enviable scenario for any jewelry-store owner.

For Tiny Jewel Box, Washington D.C.’s 90-year-old family-owned jewelry destination, it wasn’t just another pre-holiday rush, it was the culmination of an edgy experiment with jewelry designer Jade Trau that combined professional ear piercing, personalized styling, and a party atmosphere all in one event.

With on-site piercing services, one-on-one styling sessions with Trau, and a relaxed atmosphere complete with champagne and chocolate, the event transformed Tiny Jewel Box into an experiential destination.

The event was different than anything owner Matthew Rosenheim had hosted before, and with a multi-pronged marketing approach, it drew 250 people to the store that day, a mix of new and established clients eager to learn about Trau’s collection and follow jewelry trends. Customers were interested in stacking rings, layered necklaces and trendy ear piercings, including snakebites (two piercings stacked close together on the ear), constellations (a curated collection of multiple ear piercings strategically placed to resemble a star-like pattern) and stacked lobes.

“People want experiential types of events,” Rosenheim notes. “That’s part of the reason it was so well attended and had so much energy to it.” In a busy city like Washington, D.C., luring time-crunched consumers to store events can be challenging. The piercing element provided that crucial hook that drew people in, while Trau’s styling expertise kept them engaged once they arrived.

Tiny Jewel Box partnered with an agency that drove traffic with public relations, marketing and influencer initiatives. The staff reached out to clients who had either purchased or shown interest in Trau’s designs in the past. “It was a team-oriented, multi-pronged approach that delivered a diverse kind of audience that had a really good energy behind it,” Rosenheim says.

One of the most significant benefits was the event’s ability to attract a younger demographic without alienating traditional clientele.

“The whole concept is great for bringing in younger clients, but at the same time, I think it had appeal to older clientele as well who want to accessorize in a modern way and to feel hip and young and to show trends in their lives,” Rosenheim says.

Trau’s designs, which Rosenheim describes as having both quality and edginess with their unique spin on classic silhouettes, seem to bridge this gap perfectly.

While the event was successful from a sales perspective, Rosenheim notes that the long-term relationship-building aspect was even more valuable.

“The business will take care of itself over time as we organically create relationships with customers,” he explains. “With us being an old multi-generational family business, we think long-term relationship all the time.”

The event created a fun, engaging atmosphere where attendees could interact not only with the designer but with each other. Rosenheim’s team remarked that people were genuinely enjoying themselves, an intangible benefit that builds goodwill and positive associations with Tiny Jewel Box.

Another unexpected benefit came in the form of sales data. The event gave Tiny Jewel Box confidence to stock higher-priced pieces from Trau’s collection after seeing customer response.

Perhaps the most significant long-term benefit of the collaboration is how it fosters a collector mentality. When clients connect with a designer’s aesthetic, they’re more likely to purchase multiple pieces over time. “The benefit of the designer jewelry business in stores is that it helps create multiple sales and you can build looks within that designer,” Rosenheim explains. “In many ways, we introduce our clients to these designers and create brands in our own market for them.”

For Tiny Jewel Box, collaborating with designers like Jade Trau isn’t just about selling jewelry — it’s about creating experiences, building relationships, and ensuring this family business thrives for generations to come.

Verragio two-tone 18K yellow and white gold Signature bracelet from the Veritage collection with diamonds (2.70 TCW), $17,300, verragio.com

Most jewelry is easy to put on and take off, but bracelets can be a notable exception. If a client lives alone or has mobility issues, it may be more difficult to wear certain bracelets, notes Sophia Macris, creative director at Verragio Fine Jewelry. The answer? Be sure to “test drive the bracelets in your cases to see which ones are the easiest to put on and take off (and why — are they flexible? Stretchy?)” And when you sell a bracelet to a client, make sure they test drive it, too, she says.

When applying for a business loan at a bank, it’s important to show that you have a thorough knowledge of the business and have spent time thinking about the competitive landscape, says celebrated entrepreneur Richard Branson. Writing in Business Review Weekly, he says: “If a bank or other investor is looking at your business, then they’ve probably looked at your competitors as well. Show you understand your competition and irreverently explain why your business will do better. Don’t be overly negative. At best, you’ll seem humorless and self-important, and at worst, like you don’t take your competitors seriously enough.”

From Daniel Gilbert of Harvard to Martin Seligman of Princeton, well-being researchers seem to agree on one thing: Mealtime with friends and loved ones is a direct predictor of well-being. In 2025, aim to have at least one 2-to-3-hour dinner and/or drinks per week —yes, 2–3 hours — with those who make you smile and feel good. Thursday dinners and long Sunday brunches are particularly conducive to this.

Ensure your team has access to vendor logins for streamlined operations, says store consultant Megan Crabtree: “This enables easy retrieval of images, pricing, and marketing materials, especially when vendors are closed on weekends,” she says. Providing access to these things at the click of a button can also empower associates to better assist customers in a timely manner, she adds.

There’s something to be said for ending on a high note, says business coach and author Josh Waitzkin, citing a lesson he learned from World Cup skier Billy Kidd, who insisted on ending his runs on the flat with as much intention as the more critical parts of the slope. “As Billy points out, if your last three turns are precise, then what you’re internalizing on the lift ride up is precision. So, I carry this on to the guys I train in the finance world, for example: ending the workday with high quality, which for one thing means you’re internalizing quality overnight.”

Here’s a Gmail trick that’s been around for a while, but which we just came across: It allows you to create variations of your email address by adding a plus sign (+) and additional text before the “@” symbol. For example, if your email is “example@gmail.com,” you can use “example+shopping@gmail.com,” “example+newsletters@gmail.com,” or “example+work@gmail.com” for different purposes. Not only does it help you manage emails, but when signing up for newsletters or other subscriptions, you can see who’s sharing your information or sending you junk mail.

In a world where it feels people are increasingly opting out of personal engagement, a “go first” mindset can be a game-changer, says podcaster and former pro volleyball player Gabby Reece: “I always say that I’ll go first … That means if I’m checking out at the store, I’ll say hello first. If I’m coming across somebody and make eye contact, I’ll smile first. [I wish] people would experiment with that in their life a little bit. Be first, because — not all times, but most times — it comes in your favor. The response is pretty amazing because now we’re being trained in this world to opt out — nobody’s going first anymore.”

Want a quick insight into the true character of that prospective hire filling out a job application? “Move them onto an abysmally slow internet connection and observe,” says Wired co-founder Kevin Kelly in his book Excellent Advice for Living.