Polygon Success Stories
PolyPower Story #143 "Hands down, Polygon was our best business decision"
When we opened for business in Columbus, Georgia, three years ago, we made the classic retail mistakes: two partners with no sales experience (just 20 years of bench work), a difficult location (in a mall competing with three major chains), and a tiny inventory in 4 display cases (just a dozen solitaires and some semi-mounts).
We initially concentrated on repairs, but after selling a diamond, realized that diamond sales would pay the rent a lot faster. We use CertNet (Polygon's diamond database with our markup included) as a powerful sales tool. Our customers feel comfortable buying from a couple of good ol' boys in jeans, particularly when we can show them a list of 200+ diamonds that meet their exact specifications. Since the customer is involved in the process, they feel empowered — especially if they have shopped around before coming in. With Polygon, sales of diamonds soared! We sold over $1 million in diamonds our second year.
The economy is slowing down. Sales in our mall are down 20% — 30% and we've seen evidence that consumers are shopping more carefully. However, this "slowdown" has been a big opportunity for us. The shoppers are buying from The Jeweler's Touch. With of Polygon, we're able to give them great selection, quality, and competitive prices. In the first three months of 2001, our sales were up over last year: January: 35%, February: 45%, and March: 250%.
Because we offer quality and value, several of the chain store employees and managers now buy from us. The wife of one manager insisted that they buy a diamond from us, since she wouldn't accept the quality of the diamonds in his store!
We are currently negotiating a lease for a new location in the mall, three times as large, in a prime location. Our 3 jewelers, 3 salespeople, and 8 full display cases need more room. Hands down, Polygon was our best business decision.
Gary Cadoura & Michael Wright The Jeweler's Touch Columbus, Georgia Polygon #51894
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