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Brand Excellence And A Great View At J. Brooks Jewelers in Utah | October 30, 2014 (0 comments)
Murray, UT—J. Brooks Jewelers may be the jewelry store with the best mountain view in the country. Located in the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray, UT, owner John Branscomb describes his mountain view as "beautiful and pristine." J. Brooks Jewelers is now in its 17th year and the business keeps Branscomb hopping. "There is something new to learn every day," says Branscomb. "We're a moderate to high-end store, specializing in bridal, as do many stores in Utah. We also offer excellent custom pieces from simple to the most elaborate pieces that can be made."
J. Brooks Jewelers is a family business and growing. "My wife Kim and I run the business together. My son Brooks has now with us, learning the business. My daughter, Natalie, had been with us for a decade but has recently left to pursue other interests. My older brother, Fred and daughter-in-law, Jamie also work here. It's a lot of family." A few select philosophies characterize the J. Brooks brand.
One is that Branscomb believes in a local focus. And he walks the walk. J. Brooks Jewelers proudly manufacturers its custom items in the United States. "We recently moved our customer manufacturing from Utah to downtown Los Angeles. We needed finer setters and polishers that are available there in abundance. We work very hard to do everything in America. Many remounts we can do here in 8-10 days instead of 4-6 weeks overseas." Branscomb also stocks the store with brands made in America.
Another is owner accessibility. "I hang my hat on being an owner you can find in the store. I'm here every day, visible and accessible to our customers," says Branscomb. There has never been a door on his glass office.
Looking into J. Brooks's light-filled store.
A third is making customers feel at home. "We're from North Carolina and want people to feel like they are home when they visit. We've worked hard to create a home-like environment here. We tell people, 'We want to be your jeweler. You have a dentist, a doctor, an attorney, etc. You don't choose a new dentist with every cleaning or office visit so why switch jewelers with every purchase.. We want to be the jewelry professional in your life. We want to be your jeweler.'" That is why he offers all services.
The inventory that J. Brooks Jewelers carries has changed over the years. "Once upon a time, we were a huge watch store," said Branscomb. "At the peak, watches were 38% of our gross sales. That was in 2006-2008. Then there was the recession. In Utah, we got it late and came out of it last. In 2011, our Swiss partners decided that the recession was over; unfortunately it wasn't over for us. We couldn't meet their demands, so we changed our inventory focus."
Two interior views: the showroom, above, and the hallway, below:
Today the inventory focus is 70% bridal. "Utah is an ultra-conservative community. Even our liberals are pretty conservative. While bridal is recession proof for most everyone, it's especially true in a conservative community. About half of Utah is Mormon or LDS (Members of The Church of Jesus Christ or Latter Day Saints). The religious couples here don't live together until they are married. The whole relationship process is accelerated. We have an advantage there."
Branscomb's main bridal vendors are Simon G. and Jewels by Star. For him, that pairing is the perfect match. "They work well together in style and price points. Most of our customers generally like one line or the other. It's a good marriage in our store between those two lines." He uses other lines as well to compliment their styles and calls it the 'JBJ Collection.'
J. Brooks Jewelers customers are quite diverse in age and background. "In Salt Lake County, we have large populations of Caucasians, Hispanics and Pacific Islanders: Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti and Hawaii. We have found success appealing to all races and sexual orientation. We have the welcome mat out for anyone who appreciates style and quality."
Branscomb helping a customer choose a ring.
"We're working on a new website that's more interactive. We're adding videos and customer testimonials. Lots of new digital plans," says Branscomb. "A big segment of our business is buying from estates and private clients off the street. We offer free verbal appraisals as well as a method to meet a lot of new people who are hoping to sell some of their family treasures. We've been buying diamonds for a long time. We're buying more now, allowing us to be competitive with Blue Nile and other on-line sources. We do some re-cutting of diamonds that are too poorly cut and if we can't sell it, we have many industry contacts that buy almost any type of diamond. We can't be afraid to buyers of great values that walk in the front door."
While J. Brooks Jewelers is entering its 17th year, Branscomb's jewelry experience is much greater. In October, he finished his 33rd year in jewelry. "My brother Tim and I owned Sierra West Jewelers together in Orem, Utah, near Brigham Young University. In 1997, we decided we were headed in different directions. We had four locations; I took one of them and relocated to a new shopping center by the mall. We've just finished 15 years in this location. When we moved, I changed our look. I hired a Southern California designer to do the store so it would look different, not the 'dental reception' look. We wanted a non-Utah looking store. Since then, we've seen many copies of the store's look and feel."
Branscomb's main driving factor is creating and maintaining the J. Brooks' experience. "We want someone who comes into our store to have an experience that would feel different than other jewelry stores. We also want a staff that's more educated, more sophisticated and will make people feel at home. We get referrals from chain stores regularly and they know if they send a customer here, we have the expertise to handle any issue. As professionals, we work to do what's best for our customer. "
The J. Brooks experience is defined by Branscomb's commitment to his customers. "People are coming to us for excellence. We provide that over and over again. That's our brand promise."
The J. Brooks team.