Regional report on Mother's Day: How were sales?

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Regional report on Mother's Day: How were sales?

By Joseph Dobrian

May 15, 2009

Sterling silver jewelry, such as this "Precious Heart" necklace by Montblanc, sold well this Mother's Day for several retail jewelers across the country.

How were jewelry sales this Mother's Day and what items were consumers buying? National Jeweler asked retailers around the country to weigh in for our Regional Report.

NORTHEAST

--"Earrings were our best item if anything was, but it was like pulling teeth to break the $200 mark. Several of my colleagues said it was the slowest Mother's Day they'd ever seen," says Marcel Zelaznik, Grand Jewelry Shop, Queens, N.Y.

--"It was a good Mother's Day. I sold a lot of sterling silver and some gold items as well," says Carol Young, Swamp John's, Ogonquit, Me.

SOUTH

--"It was amazing. Sales were not all that bad and they ranged from huge items to small," says Ingrid Strange, Ingrid's Jewelers, Daleville, Ala.

--"We didn't have any one particular item that sold well, and sales were significantly lower than last year. We had more repairs than I would normally see for mother's rings that needed updating or refurbishing," says Steve Smothers, Warrington Jewelers, Pensacola, Fla.

MIDWEST

--"Our Mother's Day was not very good. We sold mostly the basic traditional mother's rings, but not too many of them. This is one of the slowest years I've ever seen," says Scott Sisson, Sisson and Son, Flora, Ind.

--"We had a good Mother's Day. Lots of people bought rings," says Chuck Milton, Eichorn Jewelers, Galesburg, Ill.

--"We had a pretty good Mother's Day, and my friend up the street who owns a flower shop said he did well too. We sold mainly small items," says Jim Meyer, Meyer Jewelers, Green Bay, Wisc.

SOUTH CENTRAL

--"Mother's Day was all last minute and not so bad for us. We're a manufacturing jeweler and that put us at an advantage in the current economy," says Dennis Hirsh, Hirsh Brothers, High Ridge, Mo.

--"It was slow compared to the past, even with advertising. The pieces that moved were relatively inexpensive: more simple earrings and bracelets than diamond pieces," says Dennis O'Halloran, Kimberley's Fine Jewelry and Gift Boutique, Edwards, Colo.

WEST

--"We sold a little less than in other years, but it wasn't too bad. We sold more lockets than anything else and no big items: only one family pendant," says Janet Hollinger, W.R. Adams and Son, Sparks, Nev.

--"It was pretty slow. Mother's rings sold best and we sold a lot of sterling silver," says Mary Krasowski, Krasowski Jewelry, Salmon, Ida.

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