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Retailer News: Borsheims’ Outlet Opens; Two Florida Jewelers Give Back; Tourneau Publishes Book November 20, 2013 (0 comments)
Thousands Flood New Borsheims Boutique Outlet On Opening Day
Omaha, NE—Borsheims Boutique opened this week to crowds of thousands at the newly revamped Nebraska Crossing Outlets. The Boutique is the first ever additional retail store for Borsheims, which has been in business for more than 100 years. The opening of the Borsheims Boutique coincided with the grand opening for Nebraska Crossing Outlets, with local dignitaries cutting the ribbon to officially open the new shopping center.
Dozens waited in line in the cold morning air for the Borsheims Boutique doors to open at 10 am. Once inside, shoppers perused jewelry, watches and home décor, from $12 hostess gifts for the holidays to diamond rings worth more than $10,000.
The Borsheims Boutique is designed to maintain the same feel as the store’s main location in Regency Court. From the carpet to the cases to Borsheims’ signature gift wrap, keeping the atmosphere similar between the two stores was intentional. “We want our shoppers to have the Borsheims experience, no matter where they shop,” said incoming CEO Karen Goracke. “We have always prided ourselves on our extensive selection of jewelry, watches and gifts, our exceptional customer service and our great deals. We are excited to introduce Borsheims to an entirely new group of customers.”
Bargain-seeking shoppers crowd Borsheims Boutique on opening day.
The Borsheims Boutique is housed in a premiere space at the $112 million, 350,000 square-foot open-air Nebraska Crossing Outlets shopping center, which features other luxury outlet stores such as Michael Kors, Kate Spade, and a Coach Factory Store. The center has more than 70 stores and eateries in total.
The shopping center organized dozens of giveaways to celebrate its grand opening, including a pendant necklace from Borsheims Boutique featuring black and white diamonds, valued at more than $1,600.
Susan Jacques, outgoing CEO of Borsheims, poses with her husband, Gene Dunn, in front of caricatures of Warren Buffett, left, and Charlie Munger, Buffett’s business partner. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns Borsheims.
Levinson Jewelers Partners With Ernst Benz For Custom Watch
Ft. Lauderdale, FL—Legendary Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino last week hosted the 13th Annual Dan Marino Cigar & Wine Dinner, sponsored by Levinson Jewelers and Greenspoon Marder Foundation.
Swiss watchmaker Ernst Benz and Levinson Jewelers collaborated to create an exclusive one-of-a-kind timepiece, the Dan Marino Piece Unique, for the evening.
A ChronoScope watch is being produced exclusively in the Ernst Benz signature 47mm size, featuring the brand’s new signature black matte DLC finish. The standout feature is the special dial where the number 12 on the top has been replaced with number 13 in honor of the Hall of Famer’s legendary jersey.
In addition, 13 limited edition ChronoSport timepieces, the Dan Marino Exclusive, were offered at the event’s auction, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Dan Marino Foundation, which supports programs for children with emotional, physical, or developmental disabilities.
The one-of-a-kind ChronoScope Dan Marino watch, left, and the limited-edition series, right.
The limited edition series was inspired by the unique ChronoScope piece. Each watch is marked on the dial with its limited edition series number.
Since its inception, this event has raised over $2.5 million with the support of sponsors Greenspoon Marder, Ultimate Software, Badia Spices, Southern Wine & Spirits, Arturo Fuente Family of Premium Cigars, the Miami HEAT, Levinson Jewelers, the Huizenga Family Foundation, Walgreens, Comcast, Clear Channel Radio, and Clear Channel Outdoor. The 2013 event was held at Shula’s On The Beach at the Westin Beach Resort & Spa in Ft. Lauderdale.
Weston Jewelers Supports The Fight Against Human Trafficking
Weston, FL—Ed and Tracey Dikes, co-owners of Weston Jewelers, recently joined forces with actress Cassie Scerbo to help her fight against human sex trafficking, during fellow actress Serinda Swan’s annual 18FOR18 campaign in honor of the Somaly Mam Foundation. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to eradicating slavery worldwide. The Dikeses made a significant donation to Scerbo’s fundraising page for the third annual skydive in Santa Barbara, CA.
Weston Jewelers owners Tracey and Ed Dikes, left and center, with actress Cassie Scerbo
Scerbo, an up and coming actress from Parkland, FL, is best known for her leading roles in the Syfy hit movie Sharknado and popular television show Make It or Break It on ABC Family. She jumped 18,000 feet from an airplane for the second year in a row, to promote awareness for victims of human sex trafficking.
Recently, Scerbo visited Ed and Tracey Dikes to personally thank them for their support. Proceeds from the annual skydive event went to fund rescue teams in southeast Asia who save women and children from as young as two years old from being trafficked into sex slavery.
The Somaly Mam Foundation, which Scerbo’s skydive benefits, supports survivor rescue, shelter, and restoration programs (including medical and psychological treatment) for survivors of slavery, as well as empowerment programs that train survivors to be a force of change in their community. SMF's awareness and advocacy campaigns shed light on the crime of human trafficking and involve governments and individuals in the fight against modern-day slavery. It has a special focus on Southeast Asia where the trafficking of women and girls is widespread.
New Book From Leading Watch Retailer Tourneau Gives Intimate Look Into Industry
New York, NY—Tourneau last week launched The Watch Book, a 270-page hardcover volume featuring insight from the watch industry’s foremost experts. It’s available for purchase in all 30 Tourneau stores across the United States.
“The Watch Book reflects Tourneau’s collective and historic watch knowledge and expertise that we look forward to sharing with our customers every day,” said Ira Melnitsky, CEO. “It pays homage to the storied history of the timepiece, but also takes a look into the exciting future of the industry that we’re all so proud to be a part of.”
Chapters span a range of topics from timepiece history to conceptual designs. The book is a collaborative effort between journalists, bloggers, designers, and Tourneau’s own design and marketing teams to weave together the journey of watches from the past to the future. Anders Modig, an accomplished writer and creative director for several Swiss watch brands, is the book’s editor in chief, and Nathan Beck led the book’s photography. Additional editors for the book include talent from auction houses and the consumer and trade press.
The breadth of topics covered in The Watch Book ensures that it will be informative even for watch experts. The latest on watch design is discussed in roundtable form by numerous acclaimed watch designers, and a chapter on manufacturing gives a behind-the-scenes look into the watchmaking process at Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Finally, the individuals who made the biggest imprint on the watch world this year are profiled, from CEOs of the most established brands to new faces in horology.