Retail Profiles
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National Jeweler 2009 Retailer Hall of Fame: Single-Store Independent
'Special moments' key to jeweler's success
By Catherine Dayrit
July 27, 2009
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| Howard and Vicki Cunningham, co-owners of Cunningham Fine Jewelry, have been named to National Jeweler's 2009 Retailer Hall of Fame in the Single-Store Independent category. |
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Editor's note: National Jeweler's Retailer Hall of Fame honors jewelers who have made significant contributions to American jewelry retailing. This is the first of three articles profiling the 2009 inductees.
Tulsa, Okla.--As husband-and-wife team Howard and Vicki Cunningham have learned in their years behind the counter, there are ups and downs to being partners in both business and life.
"It's good to have someone to bounce your ideas off of, but sometimes you just can't leave it at work," Howard Cunningham says.
Yet together, the co-owners of Cunningham Fine Jewelry have built a thriving business on their dovetailed interests and a shared emphasis on bringing the emotion back to jewelry. It's a business plan that has made their store the go-to jewelry destination for Tulsa, Okla., area residents.
"As the years have gone by, as one of us is weak, the other is strong," Vicki Cunningham says. "We both bring different traits to the table as to what we do best."
Merging those talents is what brought Cunningham Fine Jewelry to life. Howard delved into the business on the wholesale side, while Vicki honed her retail talents in the apparel industry. After the two married, Howard launched his own wholesale jewelry business and Vicki built a retail complement. Before long, with the retail business burgeoning, the couple decided to devote themselves entirely to the store.
This year, their operation won National Jeweler's Retailer Hall of Fame honors in the single-store independent category.
After 26 years of marriage, including 22 as business partners, the pair credits the Hall of Fame induction to having discerned a strategy to both keep the peace and run a successful business.
"We sat down and assigned each other responsibilities, so marketing was more Howard's thing, and the management side and financial side, I did that," Vicki says.
And with backgrounds in both wholesale and retail, the pair's skills have been tremendous assets in negotiating with suppliers and choosing fashionable, saleable products.
Aside from working to bring customers the right product assortment, the Cunninghams put an emphasis on the emotion behind each piece of jewelry.
"I know people are going to say something nice about the beautiful pieces of jewelry, but can you also say something nice about the person who gave it to you?" Howard asks.
Remembering the gift-giver and when and how the jewelry was presented make up the experiences that the retailer calls "Cunningham Moments."
Howard tells the story of a customer who came in and described receiving an unexpected kiss from his wife. Out shopping one day, the woman received a compliment on her diamond ring (one bought at Cunningham), a remark that brought her back to the moment years ago when she received the gift.
Hearing that story reminded Howard of something--that Cunningham Fine Jewelry is in the business of creating special moments.
"I said to Vicki, 'Isn't that what we're doing here?'" Howard says. "I think it's a philosophy with your salespeople and yourself. You didn't come in just to sell a diamond or a gold chain. You come in to help someone say to the person they love, 'I love you,' with a piece of jewelry."
Encouraging that mindset to staff, and also fostering training and education, are central to the Cunningham ethos. Educating customers as well--on everything from the Four C's of diamonds to ethical practices---is a point of differentiation for the retailer.
While customer inquiries about conflict diamonds have been rare, Vicki says she believes being able to trace the provenance of stones and being an active participant in the dialogue is essential.
In March of 2007, she traveled to South Africa to speak on corporate social responsibility at the World Jewellery Confederation Congress. That same year, she was named to the Council of Responsible Jewellery Practices (CRJP) board of directors.
The Cunninghams make a major effort to get out into the community, supporting local nonprofits and attending charitable events. They are also active members of industry associations, and Vicki says being involved is one of the best pieces of advice she has for fellow jewelers.
"I would encourage anyone in business to join their state associations, join JA [Jewelers of America], be willing to put yourself in situations where you can network and grow and learn from your peers," she says.
In addition to Vicki's work with the CRJP, she and Howard have served on the boards of JA and the Jewelry Information Center, and both are active members of their own state association, of which Howard is president.
"To me, the opportunities I've had through the years to network with other jewelers and say, 'What would you do in this situation? How would you do it better?' is priceless," Vicki says.
Howard's own advice to peers is both straightforward and humble.
"I always like to say, 'I'm just a beggar and all I can do is show you where I found some bread,'" he says.
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