What's with all the jewellery stores everywhere?

[Sliver]

I don't get it. How can every mall have like 10 jewellery stores? How many shiny pieces of metal can you trick people into buying? I wear a wedding band and so does my wife, but that's pretty much it between us.

I think less of people that waste hard-earned money on bracelets, necklaces, etc. They're trinkets. Diamonds are over priced and stupid. It's all just so dumb.

Seems really strange to me to spend money on something that's totally useless. Like, buy a bike, or a tv, or a stereo, or top up your savings, or donate to charity, or buy an experience like a vacation or even just a meal out. But jewellery? What a waste.

[troutman]

Men making amends.

[photon]

They have to buy something for their significant others after looking at someone else for a bit too long at the naked swimming event.

There's not just lots of stores, but the lower end ones always seem to have a 50% off sale on.

[Wormius]

Such a random thought...

But anyway, I would put the plethora of nail salons in strip malls everywhere as more confounding than jewellery shops. Nails seem like such a DIY thing.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Nails seem like such a DIY thing.

Every time I clip my toenails, I vow that next time I will go to a place and get a pedicure. But I don't really know where to go, so I just keep clipping those gnarly f-ers myself, with clippers that look like side cutters.

[burn_this_city]

People like shiny ####

[Northendzone]

I always laugh when I pass by tiffany’s at chinook. Seems like two or three sales staff plus a security guy, and nobody else in there.

Bikes seems like it even has more staff.

Makes me think the margins on jewellery must be huge, as I can’t recall the last time a jewellery store in chinook closed

[zamler]

I never see anyone in those places, or maybe 1 guy. Something is up.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by zamler

I never see anyone in those places, or maybe 1 guy. Something is up.

Exactly. And there are usually at least three people working in each one. They're open about twelve hours per day. Fixed cost have to be $500 - $750 per day plus labour at an additional $500 per day if your three employees are making minimum wage. Plus your inventory, insurance must be high, and whatever else. Setting up a store wouldn't be cheap with all the displays because it would have to look high end or don't even bother.

And I don't know a single person in my age range (40ish) that values jewellery like say our grandparents may have. Kind of like China. Nobody I know has or wants two sets of dishes but everyone did just a generation ago. My mom has tried to give us her "fine" China and we just say no.

But these jewellery stores are all over. There are literally nine in South Centre mall. That is insane. One should be more than enough. And they're always empty so wtf.

[CliffFletcher]

Part of it is the growth in the luxury end of retail - the rich need something to spend their money on. Part of it is demographics - new Canadians from developing countries love their bling.

[81MC]

Because when you don't pay attention to anything your wife actually cares about, it's a lot easier to spend some disposable income on something expensive than to put real thought or effort into a gift?
Maybe it's not fair, but honestly jewellery seems like a total joke. Nothing says love like walking around with a piece of rock unceremoniously stolen from others land, as unique and thoughtful as a paycheque.

[4X4]

I don't get jewelry either. It's completely useless, but supposedly valuable, so losing it is a big deal. It's like buying a problem, or a worry, at least.

[OMG!WTF!]

I'm a forty something single guy and have always loved and collected jewelry; not shopping mall jewelry but there's some ok stuff for relatively cheap there. And I've definitely stopped judging people for what they send their money on...I've noticed the watch thread guys are pretty silent so far.

Flowers though. While jewelry is largely symbolic, at least it doesn't just f'n die every week.

[Calgary14]

It's the margins. The profit margins on jewellery in general are massive

[snootchiebootchies]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I don't get it. How can every mall have like 10 jewellery stores?

I have wondered the same thing about discount hair cutting places like Supercuts, Great Clips, etc. In the strip malls around my house, countless numbers of stores/restaurants come and go but those hair cutting places never go out of business, even through the most difficult recessions.

[CliffFletcher]

Barbers are recession-proof. It's not as though people go all Jim Carey when they lose their job.

[snootchiebootchies]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Barbers are recession-proof. It's not as though people go all Jim Carey when they lose their job.

But I do see independent barbers and hair salons go out of business. It's these discount chain haircutters (First Choice, Supercuts, Magic Cuts, etc.) that seem really resilient. I have to think they must be good franchise businesses to own. Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread.

[CaptainCrunch]

NSFW!

[zamler]

^^ classic

[SebC]

Originally Posted by snootchiebootchies

But I do see independent barbers and hair salons go out of business. It's these discount chain haircutters (First Choice, Supercuts, Magic Cuts, etc.) that seem really resilient. I have to think they must be good franchise businesses to own. Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread.

Yeah this makes total sense. Discount places with brand recognition. They're not vulnerable to being sustituted for lower cost alternatives and if someone switches from higher cost to lower cost they know where to go.