Up, Down and Even, Christmas 2018
Every year we see different results for individual companies when comparing this year’s numbers to last and 2018 was certainly no different. I can’t even say that the wide swings were terribly unusual (from up nearly 100% to down 45%).
No One Noticed but the Bottom Line
Improving your bottom line is a challenge for many retailers. We tend to follow the same patterns of behavior over time (years and even generations) and therefore, markup and discounting wind up becoming a part of our culture, rather than having a net profit strategy.
Are You a Growth Stock or a Value Stock?
Some companies we work with are aggressive in their growth plans; many others have stopped investing in growth and are enjoying the fruits of investments of years gone by.
Putin’s Diamonds
The gloves have indeed come off. In a recent article, Diamond Foundry has taken a shot at the entire natural diamond industry, specifically naming Tiffany & Company as well as all retail jewelers for selling Russian Diamonds: “Putin’s Diamonds”, as they call them.
I Trust You…Now Sign Here
One jeweler I work with, to avoid litigation, recently had to settle with a customer over a missing ring. The customer claimed she never picked up her ring, while the store showed the job as delivered, but only in the computer!
Don’t Poke the Bear – Volume 2
There is no difference in rarity between a .50ct and a 2.00ct laboratory-grown synthetic diamond (in spite of what the sellers of synthetic diamonds will tell you). The cost to produce them is simply linear – time in the reactor = size of the cube. Period.