CJ August 2015

1 C A N A D I A N J E W E L L E R . C O M J U L Y/A U G U S T 2 0 1 4

Canadian Jeweller Magazine

4 2 7 0 9 01 3 | 1 2 3 5 B AY S T R E E T W E S T S U I T E 4 0 0 T O R O N T O O N TA R I O M 5 R 3 K 4

CMCAAUDITED

The independent voice for the industry since 1879 AUGUST 2015

Gerry Gilroy Independent Jewellers Standing strong

UNTIL NEXT TIME, VEGASWhat happens in Vegas doesn’t have to stay in Vegas...

YOUR GUIDE TO CJ EXPOS

What to expect from this year’s line up of truly

Canadian shows

001.CJ Cover.indd 1 2015-07-17 4:35 PM

68JCK LAS VEGAS REVIEW What happens in Vegas doesn't have to stay in Vegas... by Irina Lytchak

82 JMI EXCLUSIVEYou can never be too careful when sending and receiving valuable packages

92SHOWCASE /MARKETPLACE

96STYLE COUNCILSend summer off with a bang

98LAST WORDCitizen: Evoking elegance

12 C A N A D I A N J E W E L L E R . C O M A U G U S T 2 0 1 5

Contents

48

28

26Departments

16EDITOR’S LETTER

18 CONTRIBUTORS / BEHIND THE SCENES

20 WHAT'S ON

22 PRODUCT SHOWCASE

26 STAR WATCHA bevvy of beauties graced the red carpet with heaven-sent polish and poise

28 FOR THE RECORDNews, trends and events

44 CJ GALLERY19th Annual JVC Golf Tournament coverage

48ON THE COVER: INDEPENDENT JEWELLERSWe reconnect with Gerry Gilroy to see why his store continues to be the top-dog in the industryby Irina Lytchak

44

August 2015 cover photographed by Ashley Champagne

CJ_Contents.indd 12 2015-07-17 4:36 PM


Contents

74

54

78

54FEATURE: FALLING FORTUNESHow the dropping loonie is affecting the Canadian jewellery industryby Sarah B. Hood

56CJ EXPOS PREVIEW What you can expect from this year's line up of truly Canadian shows

62SCHOLARHSIP FEATUREA look at the �nalists for the 2015 Vaccaro Family Scholarship

64EXPO PRESTIGE PREVIEWMontreal's biggest jewellery show is �nally here! 74DESIGNER PROFILE: CLAIRE VESSOTAward-winner Claire Vessot is still making discoveries about the design processby Sarah B. Hood

78COMPANY PROFILE: JOHN'S WHOLESALE JEWELLERYA family-owned business that keeps the customer coming back for moreby Irina Lytchak

50MINING COLUMNFrom ideas to reality (Part II)by Maria Laura Barreto

84GEMS & GEMMOLOGYHow antique jewels provide a unique perspective on cultural history by Duncan Parker

86ON DISPLAYNever thought jewellery and food had something in common? Think again. by Larry Johnson

88RETAIL COLUMNAre Millenials reshaping the retail landscape? by Todd Wasylyshyn

90JVC REPORT An invisible border to crimeby John Lamont

64

Features &Columns

CJ_Contents.indd 14 2015-07-17 4:37 PM


Cover Story

Cj Cover Story.indd 48 2015-07-17 4:41 PM

49A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 C A N A D I A N J E W E L L E R . C O M

Standing strong

Gerry Gilroy knows that the secret to success lies in following the formula that worked from the

beginning.by Irina Lytchak

photography by Ashley Champagne

WE FIRST HAD THE PLEASURE OF FEATURING GERRY GILROY on our cover nearly six years ago and by that point, Gilroy had made a name for himself and his massive Independent Jewellers Center in Edmonton.

We checked in with Gilroy for our August 2015 issue and found that he con-tinues to stay undefeated when it comes to his business.

“Everything we’ve done so far has worked,” he says. “We haven’t seen a decrease in sales in the past years and the biggest thing for us continues to be customer service.”

And it’s that service that has earned Independent Jewellers the Consumer Choice Award for 15 consecutive years.

“We have many loyal customers that keep coming back,” says Gilroy. “That’s what we’re known for.”

One of a kind retail center Gilroy has been in the jewellery business for 38 years now and his store, which was built about eight years ago, continues to occupy the largest area for a single jewellery retailer in all of Canada. At a whopping 32,000-square feet, the Independent Jewellers Center is home to a single-�oor jewellery and watch storefront, and a mezzanine with an of�ce space, a boardroom, a private viewing and event room, as well as a fully equipped gym.

The customers visiting the massive retailer are evenly split, with 50 per cent being from out of town and the rest being repeat customers from the Edmonton area.

The reason why Independent Jewellers attracts such a large number of out of town clientele is because of the retailer’s same-day service offer as well as a large number of goldsmiths on hand that are able to get the job done right on the spot.

“People really like the service,” says Gilroy. “The same-day option works



really well for them.” The business has the capability to satisfy a wide range of orders largely as

a result of its 10 on-site goldsmiths, two gemmologists, a watchmaker and an engraver. Gilroy adds that the company also employs two corporate sales rep-resentatives and two insurance specialists.

When it comes to the store’s customer traf� c, Gilroy praises the store’s location, which happens to be right near a busy highway.

“We built the store on one of the main roads in the city and we’re about two blocks away from West Edmonton Mall,” he says. “When I moved in here, traf-� c was 56,000 cars a day. Now it’s 96,000 cars.”

The center is hard to miss. With a giant display board outside that gets updated on a daily basis, as well as a 100-car parking lot, customers � nd it extremely easy to make a quick stop or secure a parking spot for a lengthy shopping spree.

“It’s very convenient to shop here,” says Gilroy. “People love it because it’s a one-stop shop.”

Outstanding opportunities When we last spoke to Gilroy, it was clear that working for Independent Jewellers came with many advantages. The store’s sales staff turnover has always been very low, if not nonexistent, and many of the staff has been with the company for over two decades.

“We have really great people working here,” says Gilroy. “Some have been with us for up to 35 years.”

The retailer employs about 50 staff members in total and Gilroy doesn’t hide the fact that their earnings are very competitive. “They’re overpaid,” he says.

Aside from producing millions of dollars in sales each year, the sales staff has access to the store’s on-premise gym, complete with showers and a ja-cuzzi, as well as a trainer that comes in several times a week.

When it does come to � nding a new staff member, Gilroy says that sales numbers trump experience.

“Sales are what keeps your business going,” he says. “The staff personality, background and working habits are the things that give us a big advantage over all the other stores. And since our staff are all salary plus commission, sales are de� nitely a priority and they all know that. And since we do a lot of volume, everybody makes money.” There are no limits It took Gilroy several years to � gure out how to stock his massive store and these days it seems, he’s got it down pat.

“The major factor here is the selection we carry,” explains Gilroy. “ Whatever you want to spend, we’ve got it, and we can tell you why you’re spending what you are for each product. We never lose a sale and when people are coming in here, they’re coming in to buy.”

About 60 per cent of the business is in diamonds, including loose stones and diamond rings. “Our diamond area is huge,” says Gilroy.

And now, more so than usual, the retailer is invested in carrying Canadi-an diamonds as a result of the industry’s increasing growth over the past few years.

“Canadian diamonds are huge right now,” he says. “We were the � rst to carry Canadian diamonds back in ’91, so we’ve got a really good rapport with all the Canadian diamond manufacturers. We’re very loyal to our suppliers.”

Cover Story





Cover Story



AT A GLANCE

Owner: Gerry Gilroy

Location: 11248 - 170 Street, Edmonton, AB

Size: 32,000 square feet

Staff: 50

Known for: very, very broad selection of product

Cool factor: Gilroy used to be a professional boxer and is still involved in the KO Boxing world: “We sponsor four professional � ghts every year at the Shaw Centre. I’ve been doing that for 25 years here, and we even got a trophy from the mayor last year for putting these � ghts on.”

The store’s watch section, which takes up about 4,000 square feet, is mainly made up of branded boutiques that bring in about 10 per cent of the store’s revenues.

One thing that has changed for Independent Jewellers is that the store is now selling more high-end products than before.

“Every sale has gone up, but other than that, everything else is still the same,” says Gilroy referring to his wide selection of engagement and bridal dia-mond rings, watch brands and gold jewellery. “We carry everything, right across the board,” he says. “We have a really wide variety to keep everybody happy – for the low-end customers that want to spend $100, or if you want to spend $100,000, we move a lot more bigger pieces, because no one really has them in town.” Stick to your guns Today, many jewellery retailers continue to reinvent their store and sales tactics in order to keep with the times and to stay competitive on the social media and marketing fronts. And although Gilroy hasn’t made any signi� cant changes to his store center or his sales tactics over the past few years, customers continue to � ock to his location knowing that they will � nd top-notch service and whatever item of jewellery or watch they’re on the hunt for. Which goes to show: why change something that doesn’t need to be changed? CJ


CANADIAN JEWELLER MAGAZINE HAS GONE DIGITAL

TO READ THE LATEST ISSUES ON YOUR TABLET OR PHONElook for them on AppStore or Google Play store

CJ AUGUST 2015_FP.indd 87 2015-07-10 11:21 AM

Documents

CJ August 2015