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Murphy Jewelers Is 100 Years Young And Ready For More | July 24, 2013 (0 comments)
Pottsville, PA—In 100 years, Murphy Jewelers has come a long way. It started with Frank J. Murphy, a clockmaker who traveled the countryside in horse and buggy, repairing schoolhouse clocks. He eventually opened a jewelry store in the coal-region town of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Today, under the guidance of his grandson Patrick Murphy and his wife Kim, Murphy Jewelers has grown to three stores in eastern Pennsylvania—and now the fourth generation is working in the business, too. Patrick Murphy says it's all nothing short of "A dream come true." (Left, Patrick and Kim Murphy.)
"This is a special year for us," says Murphy. "Our family started this business 100 years ago. My father was in the Air Force. When WWII was over, he joined the family business. He and his sister ran it, then later he and my mother bought it and ran it until I joined the business. I had married my high school sweetheart, Kim. I told her I wanted to run the best store in PA and I needed her to believe in my dreams. She did, and today we have three locations in Pennsylvania." Murphy says all three of his stores have different personalities and different demographics.
Above left, a window from the early days in Pottsville and the original Pottsville building. Below, second and third generation Murphys, Francis and Patrick.
Pottsville. There's the original jewelry store, the Pottsville location. "Pottsville is full of hard working families of farmers and coal miners. It's our home base," said Murphy. "We have a downtown location. We think of it as a little bit of Ireland. I'm lucky to live in the town I grew up in. There were originally eight jewelers in [downtown] Pottsville; we're the only surviving one."
Murphy jokes that he could be the mayor of Pottsville, since he knows all the people in it and they know him. That's not the case in his other two locations -- at least not yet.
Exterior and interior shots of Murphy Jewelers in Pottsville today.
Hamburg. "Our Hamburg and Allentown locations offer us different opportunities than Pottsville," says Murphy. "We're advertising and getting our name out there."
The Murphy Jewelers in Hamburg, PA is eight years old, a freestanding 8,000 square foot building "in a beautiful setting. It has a bird sanctuary behind it called Hawk Mountain," says Muphy. It's been named as one of America's Top 10 Coolest Stores by InStore magazine. It's also located across the street from one of the only Cabela’s in the east, an well-known hunting store where annually over six million people stop to visit. It also comes with an 18-foot waterfall that welcomes customers.
To tie into Cabela's fame, Murphy placed a billboard that can be seen from the highway, pointing to the store (and away from Cabela’s). The tagline, "Hunting Store for Women," riffs on its neighbor and has never changed since the billboard went up, but the billboard's background has. Murphy says that sometime people will see the billboard and then come into the store, look around and say, "Wow, just got it," when they see the inside of Murphy Jewelers.
"The" famous billboard, above.
The Hamburg store exterior. This store was one of InStore magazine's Top 10 Coolest Stores. Below, an interior view. The famous waterfall and stone wall is in the background.
Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley. Located near Allentown, PA, this is the newest of Murphy's three stores. The store is in a lifestyle center and features designers such as Rolex, Hearts on Fire, Tacori, Verragio, and John Hardy, among others.
Exterior, above, and interior, below of Murphy's Saucon Valley store.
All of Murphy's locations carry the same general merchandise mix, much of it designer jewelry. "We're strong when we get a designer. We become a real partner, we get behind the brand and promote it, marry it," says Murphy. The Murphy Jewelers website lists 30+ designers in bridal, jewelry and timepieces.
Murphy's merchandise mix has changed over the years. "We started out as a typical ma and pa type operation. We bought from jobbers who sold the same merchandise to all the stores in the area. Kim and I changed that dynamic," said Murphy. "There were times when I didn't take a paycheck; we put it back into the business and built up our inventory. Today, we are very big on repairs and custom design." Murphy's shop features a laser welder and three jewelers on staff to handle the volume.
So how do Murphy and Kim handle all three stores? "The stores are all drivable in one day," says Murphy. "They are all under 20 miles apart. It's a rough day to do all three, but it can be done. Sometimes I need to be in all three stores at the same time but I haven't learned that trick yet. I think the real key is to have great people involved; that's what works for us. We're always training, motivating, staying one step ahead. We try to keep current and use technology in a smart way."
Murphy has one step up on the technology front. The Murphys’ son, Sean Patrick Murphy, is an iPhone and iPad software engineer. "He's not involved in the store in a day-to-day capacity, but he's our IT person," says Murphy. "He also designed the store's website. He developed an iPhone app called Harvest. There's a spike in sales every time after a trade show. My son will call and say, 'Have you been talking about me again?'" The answer, of course, is yes.
And he's not the only fourth generation involved in Murphy's. Daughter Mallory works at the company full-time and is integrally involved in daily operations, as well as being the company's marketing director. "Our 100th year is even more special because of our kids’ involvement."
Mallory is fourth generation as well and she is integrally involved in the daily operations and is the marketing director for the company.
"It's a blessing to see our daughter Mallory grow up and be part of the business," said Murphy. "She's got a great head on her shoulders. She does much of our behind the scenes work: Facebook, Twitter, along with displays and designs. She and Kim do all the major buying. They both have good eyes for the hottest, newest, most fashionable inventory."
The Murphys, from left: Patrick, Kim, Mallory and Sean.
Kim also oversees the finances for the three stores. While Kim says she's not an accountant or controller, she has a great grip on finances. On a weekly basis she asks for a "flash report," spelling out the store's financial status in plain English. (Click here for more on this. Click here for the video from 2013 Centurion panel discussion where Kim speaks on financial management.)
Murphy and Kim have been married for 35 years, working side-by-side every day. The duo has no plans to retire anytime soon. "Retire?" says Murphy. "No, we've worked hard, we dedicate 110% to the company. Last year, we made a big decision to buy a beach home on the Jersey shore. It's three hours from door-to-door. We go down on weekends and enjoy the peace and quiet. It's drivable, so we can use it year around. That's as close as I'll get to thinking about retiring for now."
What does Murphy think the best part is about working with family? "They make me look good."
The company has lots of plans for the 100th anniversary. "We have lots planned for the fourth quarter, lots of parties, contests and prizes to be given away. We love giving back to the community," says Murphy. Murphy has served on many local committees including the local hospital, school board, and the cancer society over the years.
So, after all these years, what does Murphy like best about the jewelry business? One is his bond with other jewelers and vendors. "I feel really blessed," he said. "We've met so many neat people through Centurion and IJO. Our industry is like a small family, just one phone call away. If you need something, or have a questions, you've got plenty of people to call."
Another is hearing stories from bridal customers who take the time to email and share their 'how we got engaged' stories. "It just puts a smile on your face to think you're making a difference in people's lives and our community."
Murphy always felt a calling toward the jewelry business. "I started early and attended a jewelry school, Bowman's, in Lancaster, PA. It was an old fashioned trade school. My friends laughed, but even then I had a passion for this. I'm living my dream. I've been doing this now for almost 37 years. I still feel young; my day starts at 4:30am and I run five miles before work. I'm the first one in and the last one out. It's been a fun ride so far!"