Brilliant. I love Christmas and in this country I think that we do Christmas well. It’s something to look forward to as the nights draw in and even if you are not into the day itself, the social scene usually has something to offer.
It’s the big time of the year for most jewellers and pawnbrokers and represents our ‘harvest’ when fine jewellery makes a perfect gift for Christmas. We will do 2 months trade in the last 10 days of December and we have to have everything just right. This is the time we get to see if our customer service is really as good as we think it is and if customers come back to trust us with their money, knowing that you will once again find them the perfect gift.
I genuinely wake up on Christmas morning and stop to think about all of those gifts we have sold over the last 3 months that will form the ‘main present’ for so many people. They will unwrap the box and the first thing they see is our name on the box and wonder what’s inside……
Will they like it?
Did we make the right decision with the customer helping choose what he or she might like?
Last year over 3000 people bought their Christmas gift from one of my shops. We have to get it right and I think that we did as I can hardly recall any exchanges or issues, just happy stories from people who were thrilled with what they bought.
It’s not all about Christmas. Four times more people get engaged on Christmas day than Valentine’s day. Diamonds are big business at Christmas time and we have increased our stock and range to make sure we have everything ready.
The cost of Christmas does not always have to come at once and Brown and Gold offer a 6 month layaway service where you can put your gift away for Christmas Day and pay for it as, and when, you wish. There is a minimum deposit of 10% then you can reserve your item and pay the remaining amount in the coming months when your cashflow allows.
Talking of which, the other half of our business, Pawnbroking, comes alive at Christmas. Our customers will borrow against their gold and jewellery to help afford the cost of Christmas and use the service to spread the cost according to their cash availability.
Strangely enough, December is our biggest month of redemptions as people collect their jewellery to wear over the Christmas period. Our customers know that they can come in at any time and get a loan on them again after Christmas so it’s nice to be able to help where it’s needed at this expensive time of the year.
We will be offering all our customers some pretty exciting Christmas Special Offers this year and have selected some stunning lines that will have a genuine discount applied to make them unbeatable value on the highstreet. Our prices easily compete with the online jewellery stores and you have the added advantage of seeing, touching and trying the item before you part with any money. That’s the thing about jewellery, you really need to see how the item feels to be able to make the right judgement and always use a jeweller you can trust – hopefully that’s where we come in!
If you can’t find what you are looking for why not have something commissioned especially for your loved one and either reset some unworn jewellery into a more desirable piece or design something unique and special that they will love.
I will be running a series of valuation consultancy sessions in the branches leading up to Christmas were you can bring in any items you would like to get an opinion on regarding their value or if you want help in understanding if an item can be repaired to its former glory or redesigned into something else. Pop in to your nearest branch and book an appointment if you would like to discuss any of your requirements or alternatively email a picture to pawnbrokerdiaries@yorkshirereporter.co.uk and I will try and help you on-line to understand the value of your item.
No matter what you wish for this Christmas, call down to your local Brown & Gold at Seacroft or Batley or Christopher Brown Jewellers in Shipley and let us help you to find that perfect gift.
Chris Brown
