Both David Fairclough Fine Jewelers and Perry’s Emporium post million dollar increases.

David Fairclough

In the last 12 months both David Fairclough Fine Jewelers in Toledo, OH and Perry’s Emporium in Wilmington, NC posted increases of a million dollars. Let that sink in for just a moment.  A one million dollar increase….in one fiscal year. I can remember when doing one million a year in total business put you in the big leagues. In 1993, in the early days of Freshley Media, most of our clients started at under one million a year. My how times have changed. Read More »

As we take Thursday of to celebrate Thanksgiving, I for one am going to be be praising God for his amazing bounty and blessings, especially his blessings upon the Ideal Marketing Group. This is the year that should not have been. To be blunt, it shouldn’t have been this amazingly good.  While almost every economic indicator is flat or on it’s back, while Washington continues to be completely dysfunctional, while unemployment is still soaring and most retailers struggling, our group of jewelers has posted the best year in our 18 year history. With the exception of only a couple markets, almost every IMG store is back to or are exceeding their 2005-2006 highs. Yes, the boom in gold buying helped, but almost across the board, bridal and regular retail jewelry sales have increased as well.

In the coming weeks I will share with you some of the latest amazing growth stories, but for now, like you, I am just looking forward to a long, joyful day with my family. Whatever circumstance you find yourself in I urge you to take tomorrow to rest, relax and give thanks for all that we have, for family, for health and your business. Even if you’re not having your best year ever, we are all still blessed to to just be in this amazing business. It’s about to be showtime. The Christmas season starts friday, but tomorrow, give thanks, for all the blessing in your life, and all that are yet to come….

Happy Thanksgiving!

"It's almost getting to be fun!" Louis Michelson, president, Michelson Jewelers, Paducah, KY

Michelson Jewelers closed out October with 25% growth in just bridal sales in just the first four months with Freshley Media and our newest Ideal Marketing Group member. Overall store sales are up over 33% for the same period! Louis Michelson’s store has long been the largest jeweler in western Kentucky, but they are fast becoming a category killer…a super store. We just completed recording his holiday ads and Louis is pumped up about the fourth quarter. Here is what Louis said in a recent email after a busy saturday afternoon to all of us on the team: Read More »

Busy Final Fall Push
The coming weeks are crunch time as you know, getting all our media created and placed. This has been a great year for most jewelers in our group and I’m so proud at how you have all made the most of challenging times. Bridal sales are strong and seem to be getting stronger. Gold buying has slowed but it’s still coming in. Higher end pieces are getting interest and business. At least a third of our group will post record sales this year! Read More »

David Fairclough - Fine Jewelers

Last night at dinner, David Fairclough, his wife Rhonda and I toasted our 14th year together. It was 1997 when David called and inquired about our marketing program. Since then, through ups and downs, as a team we have all worked to build “The Castle” as it is now known, into the strongest jeweler in the Toledo market. Today, not only does David Fairclough dominate the Toledo bridal market, he is having his best year ever! With sales up 42% this year, all is well in the kingdom indeed.  Read More »

I’ve been on the road since August 31st and have so much to share with you, but I’ve got to catch a plane, so I’ve got to keep this short. This photo I just had to share. This is Buster and Williams Jewelers in Denver’s Cherry Creek North Shopping district is his store. Of course Buster doesn’t actually own the store…technically, Bruce Williams does. But I am about convinced that the entire operation is built and runs solely to maintain Buster’s high standard of living.

Read More »

Ideal Marketing Group jewelers across the country posted a 12.24% increase over June 2010. This is following a 18.37% increase in May. The average jeweler grew a healthy 12.34% for the second quarter, following an amazing first quarter of 23% growth. Given the strong headwinds retail is facing I consider this a huge victory and proof that market leaders outperform average stores. That may seem obvious, but what I mean by “market leaders” is those stores who are aggressively advertising…leading… and not waiting for customers to walk in their stores. Here are some highlights:
Read More »

Freshley Media’s Ideal Marketing Group stores were up again in May 18.37%, continuing the growth trend started last year. Only two out of the eighteen jewelers reported lower sales for May. This growth number is ahead of the overall 14% growth in total US jewelry and watch  sales, according to numbers guru Ken Gassman, but that is as it should be. US specialty jewelry stores have historically out performed the majors in a recovering market.

In talking with wholesalers this week I am hearing the same the same refrain “jewelers who are advertising are growing, those who are not, are not”. Market dominant stores who stayed in the game during the downturn and have stayed on the advertising gas this year are really growing their businesses. In fact, 2011 will be the biggest year ever for about half of our jewelers, eclipsing 2005-2006 numbers! The overall economy is still tough, but the leading jewelers, especially those who are tapping into bridal and high end consumers are leading this recovery. I see this trend actually getting stronger through the year as more consumers find employment and the overall economy improves. It’s happening slowly…but its happening, and fine jewelers are leading the way.

I am pleased to announce that Gregory Jacobs has joined our web department as Chief Web Designer and Site Manager at Freshley Media. He joins Greg Harvell, our Senior Consulting Designer as the key interface between our clients and their web operations. A graduate of The University of South Carolina, Greg’s most recent work includes designing advertising, marketing and web content  for Philips Electronics in their consumer products division. In 2010 he even nailed down two Addy Awards on his way to becoming  a certified web designer and video editor. The guy’s got talent and we are excited to have Gregory as a part of our team.

Starting July 11th Gregory is in charge of all of our web sites and he is now your primary point of contact.

Read More »

I am pleased to announce that one of the south’s oldest, most respected jewelers, Michelson Jewelers of Paducah, KY has joined the Ideal Marketing Group and tapped Freshley Media to become their new advertising agency. I spent last week in Paducah and had a blast with Louis Michelson, his daughter Lindsay, long time manager/ super woman Patty Lane and the whole staff. Jewelry management consultant Bill Mintzer was also on hand as we mapped out strategy for the coming year.

Read More »