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I.W. Marks Jewelers to Renovate Landmark Store in Response to Changes in Retail Business April 09, 2022 (0 comments)

Houston, TX--A second-generation family-owned jewelry store in center Bellaire Boulevard is planning a renovation, according to a Realty News report.

I.W. Marks Jewelers occupies 7,500 feet in a 1948 shopping center. According to the report, Identity Architects will design the new space to adapt to changes in the retail and jewelry business.

The changes will focus on the in-store shopping experience for customers.

As a result of the renovation, the shop's jewelry display case will be accessed from all sides, much like a museum or art gallery, giving clients a better perspective to make purchase decisions.

"The interactions will be as friends and trusted colleagues rather than clerks with keys to a locked glass box," store owner Brad Marks said in the news report.

The new design will also give brands their own space. "The retail jewelry industry today is competing with large department stores for the same customers, so shops are being smart and improving their personal shopping for customers and designing a "shop within a shop" for their brands," Kevin Hamby, senior interior designer for Identity Architects, said in the news report.

The changes will allow clients to shop and compare multiple brands simultaneously. "It is also an opportunity for strong identity from the different brands," Hamby added.

Other design changes include a higher ceiling and an open floor plan. The interiors will now have additional seating areas, private viewing space, and a full-stocked bar. Some external windows will also be uncovered to allow some more natural light.

There's also more focus on the lighting. "If the rock doesn't sparkle, then it doesn't sell," Hamby noted. The renovation team will install 36-inc ring lights to augment natural light coming from the windows to achieve this.

Read more on the renovation plans in the news report.