Mall Stores - they can''''t all be bad, can they?

[Stomp]

I just went to a mall store here in Orange County (Custom Goldsmith in Main Place Mall) to look at wedding bands. The lady was very nice & quite helpful. I mentioned we''d also be looking for my fiance''s band, but leveled w/ her and indicated how I''d purchased in the jewelry district in downtown LA and would likely go back. Her comment (like others) was that the workmanship received there can range from OK to completely shoddy. She also admitted that people typically say "stay away from mall stores" but pointed out that:

1.) It''s a family operation.
2.) It''s safer in there than in a store on their own.

So my question is whether a family owned, single location mall store is held in the same (dis)regard as the other mall stores.

BTW I owe you all a recap of what ended up happening w/ my ring purchase that you all helped so much with one year ago. Long story short - the rock is beautiful and my fiance gets compliments almost daily.

 

[Mara]

There's surely no extreme re shopping one way or the other being ALL bad or good...

For me it would come down to what type of stones they carry and/or quality of work, what they are willing to show you to confirm quality and/or cut of stones, and if you can get the items independently appraised within a return window timeframe or even before buying.

If a 'maul store' had GIA or AGS certed stones with Sarins and I could IdealScope the stones and see the light return and see some arrows too, and the price was comparable to online or at least not too much more, I would buy the stone, not the name or brand of store. But 99.9% of them won't have all of the above.

In terms of custom work and/or buying something like a wedding ring, it may be harder for the average person to find a 'quality' that is worth a dollar amount...but possibly an independent appraiser can assist.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Any store has the potential for good.

By and large the chain stores you find in malls have policies set 'from above,' so the level of quality and service you encounter are largely commensurate from store to store. This doesn't mean you won't have a good experience - it depends on the site-based management's ability to promote knowledge among staff, bring in quality goods for competitive prices and provide service. More often than not these things are dictated on a macro-level though.

So with that said, a stand-alone store has more freedom in management. There are examples of stand-alone vendors on Pricescope I consider among the best in the business. Surely they aren't the only ones

.

A high quality, honest mom and pop shop could rent a mall space - their money would not be turned down (though overhead and cost of location may preclude this as an optimum choice). Let us know how it goes.

 

[perry]

I would look at an independent operation - regardless of setting.

The lady has a point about the location: There are advantages in doing business in Mall''s. I am sure that they get more traffic than in most locations they could have an independent store. I note that the few "Jarads" I have seen all seem to also be on high rent properties next to malls.

Judge them on their honesty, if the stones and work are what they describe, the market segment they are representing, etc. I would be willing to pay a mark-up to deal with a local B & M. They offer many "minor" services that add up over the years - often offsetting an initialy higher price (thier cost/profit structure is different than the pure internet play operations).

Perry

 

[denverappraiser]

The jewelers decision to locate their store in a mall is not something that they make lightly. It’s important to note that these are independent businesses (even the chains) and that the mall is no more or less than the landlord. It maybe helpful to consider why jewelers, and the other merchants, choose to locate in shopping malls despite some serious problems associated with them.

The first, and by far the most important reason is that the walk-by traffic is huge. This presumably increases the chances that someone will spot the displays and find something that they like. If customers never know that your store exists, it’s damnably difficult to make sales so there is strong incentive to be in a location that’s easy to find and that people are likely to see in the course of their daily lives. This is amplified by the fact that most people know that malls usually have several jewelry stores even if they aren’t familiar with the details. When they want to find a jeweler, and they don’t already have one in mind, this is one of the first places that shoppers are inclined to look.

Many malls also have considerable advertising budgets and there is a ‘style’ associated with each mall. Some malls try to cater to status conscious clients while others are going for an eclectic feel but in both cases the merchants can share in the ambiance of the mall merely by renting space there. Presumably they like the feel and character of the place and want that to be associated with their store. By locating in the mall they get an automatic association with the other merchants there.

Security is a big deal for jewelers. One of the curses of the industry is that periodically someone will stroll into your store, stick a gun in your face and demand your inventory. Most people have a pretty low tolerance for this sort of thing. The risks of this drop considerably in high traffic and enclosed areas. There are alternative strategies for dealing with this but the malls do a pretty good job of offering decent security while being relatively unobtrusive about it.

As mentioned above, there are some serious problems as well. The growing bad image of these locations is a concern for every mall tenant. The rents can be extremely high. The high foot traffic in ‘lookers’ means that the store has to hire, train and manage a large staff to assist them and, hopefully, convert them into buyers. The hours are long. Most malls are open 9-9, 7-days a week and all tenants are required to be open the entire time. This is convenient for shoppers but it can be grueling and expensive for the merchants.

None of this makes a store good or bad. It is simply becomes part of the nature of the store. What makes a quality store (or website by the way) is the character of the people behind the counter, and the people behind them. All of the rest is details.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[mmorrison]

personally the only thing that comes to mind as "mall store" are chains, like Kay''s, Helzberg, Zales etc.

from my own experience when visiting these stores they have low quality stones at high prices

if I saw "Mike and Suzie''s Diamond Jewelry" in a mall I''d definitely go check it out

 

[codex57]

Date: 6/22/2005 11:33:53 AM
Author: mmorrison
personally the only thing that comes to mind as ''mall store'' are chains, like Kay''s, Helzberg, Zales etc.


from my own experience when visiting these stores they have low quality stones at high prices


if I saw ''Mike and Suzie''s Diamond Jewelry'' in a mall I''d definitely go check it out

Yup, the chains are what I consider "maul" stores.

I''ve found one fantastic store that happens to be in a mall. But it''s an independent. Owner is there all the time. Willing to teach you, carries good product, etc. If it''s an independent store, I''d give it a chance.

And no, just cuz a store is in the downtown jewelry district doesn''t mean it can only do "OK" work. I bought an e-ring from a store in the LA Jewelry District and the workmanship was fantastic. I watched them make the prongs and he took a ton of care to get the details right. The prongs are even set in a way so that they don''t cover up any of the arrows you see in the diamond.

 

[Mara]

Date: 6/22/2005 11:33:53 AM
Author: mmorrison

if I saw ''Mike and Suzie''s Diamond Jewelry'' in a mall I''d definitely go check it out

Not me! I''d ding them points for having a cheesy name. hehee.

To your point though, I have visited maul jewelers who are small and/or family owned. Also, C&H Premier which is a maul jeweler does give you more info on stones and carries well cut H&A and HOF stones. I would definitely look around there and possibly buy something.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 6/22/2005 12:50:27 AM
Author:Stomp
I mentioned we''d also be looking for my fiance''s band, but leveled w/ her and indicated how I''d purchased in the jewelry district in downtown LA and would likely go back. Her comment (like others) was that the workmanship received there can range from OK to completely shoddy.

I also recently bought my setting and EC stone from 2 different jewelers in the LAJD. The workmanship and care taken into setting/resetting the baguettes and stone is also not shoddy and I would definitely recommend these jewelers to others!

 

[karenleah15]

Anyone have any thoughts on Ben Bridge? A family company that grew up and down the west coast.

 

[blueroses]

Aside from hating their radio ad jingle??

I had one acquaintance with a very pretty RB solitaire in plat from them, but this is before I know ANYTHING about diamonds....they seemed pleased though. Haven''t heard much on here, but it''s woth a search.

 

[karenleah15]

Oh I love that radio jingle!!!
Beeeennnnn Bridddgggeeee!!!!!
I have a Ben Bridge Signature diamond in Platinum. I love it! I always just wonder what others think about the store. I am a Seattle girl so I am partial to them. We bought my ering at their original store in Downtown Seattle.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 6/22/2005 12:50:27 AM
Author:Stomp
I just went to a mall store here in Orange County (Custom Goldsmith in Main Place Mall) to look at wedding bands. The lady was very nice & quite helpful. I mentioned we''d also be looking for my fiance''s band, but leveled w/ her and indicated how I''d purchased in the jewelry district in downtown LA and would likely go back. Her comment (like others) was that the workmanship received there can range from OK to completely shoddy. She also admitted that people typically say ''stay away from mall stores'' but pointed out that:

1.) It''s a family operation.
2.) It''s safer in there than in a store on their own.

So my question is whether a family owned, single location mall store is held in the same (dis)regard as the other mall stores.

BTW I owe you all a recap of what ended up happening w/ my ring purchase that you all helped so much with one year ago. Long story short - the rock is beautiful and my fiance gets compliments almost daily.

The short answer is NO....small, family-owned, single location mall stores aren''t typically held in disregard.

When folks here talk about "maul" stores, they are typically referring to the large chains....the Zales and Kays. The ones with the 1 ct diamond sale for $1999 where the diamond is just horrific. Or the stores that try to suggest you are getting 70% off THIS WEEKEND ONLY....even though those signs stay up for 52 weeks of the year. Since most of those stores are located in malls, the common twist developed into "maul stores".

That doesn''t mean that anyone in a mall setting (atrium style or strip-mall style) is to be avoided. Denver nicely recaps the many reasons small outfits who DO have customer education and knowledge in mind may choose a mall setting.

I think it would be more accurate to say this: A "maul" isn''t necessarily located in a mall, and it shouldn''t be interpreted to mean traditional B&M stores, either. It means large outfits that focus on spreading misinformation and expecting you to buy a crappy diamond blindly on their say so. To me, that''s a maul store.....and it would appear from the many comments on this thread that others are also of that interpretation.

 

[Upgradable]

"One of the curses of the industry is that periodically someone will stroll into your store, stick a gun in your face and demand your inventory. Most people have a pretty low tolerance for this sort of thing." ~Denver Appraiser


Blew coffee out my nose on that one! Thanks for the laugh.

JMO- My favorite local jeweler is located in a strip mall along side PetSmart and Office Max. Great quality, great customer service, decent prices (10-15% above online plus that pesky sales tax), know me by name when I walk in (although this is a negative in my husband''s eyes), spend tons of time just talking about ideas, cuts, settings (without expecting it necessarily end in a sale), and ALWAYS tell me they appreciate my business each time I leave the store. That''s why I go back again and again.

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Mall stores with jewellers on hand or any other store with a workshop who has benchworkers are likely to be practiced in making jewellery.

As Neil said, they are under a lot of pressure to get a good turnover when the street fall is not after high end stuff. They have to offer what they can sell and what will earn them enough money.

As far as selling a lot of diamonds is concerned, the business is quite different.

I am sure they could...

They are not all the same.

 

[laughinggravy]

Woah guys - you should see the ones in Belgium. "You are just SOOOO luuucky to have the good fortune to walk through my door." type attitude. Actually that pervades most retail places you go around these here parts, talk about snippy bar staff! Really arrogant and ignorant, my fave 'ants. I've yet to try the young designers' shops in Antwerp - could be a diff tale there. Surely do hope so!
Abi

 

[Demelza]

KarenLeah,

I think Ben Bridge is definitely a cut above other mall stores. I have a close friend who works there. They carry Canadian ideal cut stones which are AGS certified and a selection of GIA certed stones, some of which have sarins. Of course, they have the typical crappy mall jewelry fare, but if you''re so inclined, you can definitely find very high quality merchadise there. They also carry Rolex and other high-end watches. I can''t comment on the prices. I''m sure they are more expensive than most internet vendors.

 

[karenleah15]

I am sure they are more $$ than internt vendors also. I just saw their signature diamonds and fell in love. Even over the Ikuma (Candian ideal cuts.)