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Early indications show this holiday season is on the right track. Black Friday sales figures were optimistic—the National Retail Federation says foot traffic was up significantly and the average spend per shopper also rose from last year. Shopper Trak’s figures were a bit more modest, though the firm says that doesn’t mean people aren’t spending, just that they’re spreading out their shopping and that many have already hit the pre-Thanksgiving doorbuster sales instead of waiting till Black Friday.

Meanwhile, online shopping is showing a nice bump (at press time even prior to Cyber Monday.) Cyber Monday refers to the first Monday after Thanksgiving, initially so named because many people had to shop from work where they had better Internet connections than at home.

Also encouraging are reports that splurges on non-essential items, jewelry being chief among these, are up. In informal chats with high-end jewelers across the country, The Centurion has found early results showing strength and promise for the season.

L.E.K. Consulting earlier this year ran a survey among affluent consumers, with results indicating it’s possible this demographic may again help drive economic recovery as it returns to some of its pre-recession spending levels.

All this being said, let’s not lose sight of some of the lasting changes this recession has wrought. First and foremost is a new emphasis on value, as well as on getting a bargain. Value, of course, is different than price—and it’s up to the individual retailer to convey the value of his or her merchandise. Among commodity items like toys, electronic gadgets, and, frankly, some categories of jewelry, consumers are not going to pay more than they have to if they can find the same item cheaper somewhere else. Make no mistake—they will look. Between the Internet, mobile apps, and social media, there’s no lack of places to conduct price-comparison research with relatively little hassle or time commitment.

That’s where unique and exclusive selections and experience enter into the equation. Another L.E.K. survey, just released, highlights consumer preferences in retailers across 20 top categories, jewelry stores being one. In this survey, consumers were asked to rate stores on a variety of factors ranging from value to selection to the shopping experience itself.

I’ve always believed retailers have a great deal to learn from other retailers, whether in their own category or not. For example, I urge any jeweler who has an opportunity to explore a Wegmans supermarket to do so. Wegmans, based in Rochester, NY, is consistently lauded by consumers as not only a great place to shop, but also by pundits as a great example of retailing and one of the top places to work.

While some consumers perceive Wegmans as expensive, its prices actually are more than competitive on commodity items. Laundry detergent, cat food, milk, and eggs are among the many standard grocery items that cost significantly less at Wegmans than at nearby supermarkets. But the retailer’s extensive selection of fresh-baked gourmet desserts, artisan breads, imported cheeses, the freshest seafood and produce and hard-to-find specialty items not only tops all competitors, it will add up at the cash register. This is especially true because it's almost impossible not to give in to impulse and buy at least a few things that aren't on the list, or grab all the ingredients to make the various dishes that are being demonstrated and sampled throughout the store or in the retailer's own award-winning magazine. Even with occasional sticker shock one still is hard pressed to find a parking spot at any Wegmans, especially on weekends.

Jewelers can apply the Wegmans formula to their own merchandising approach. Price-matching a diamond isn’t the same as a can of cat food, of course, but their artisan bread is your custom design; their fresh seafood is your fabulous fashion, and their truffle paste is your one-of-a-kind color, and so forth.

Here’s to a fabulous season—and for those in Wegmans country, a few fabulous meals to go with it!