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GREAT EXPECTATIONS

October 2026

Four Ways to Prepare for the Holiday Season

David Brown

Between Black Friday, Christmas shopping, proposal season, and last-minute gift buyers, you’ll see more foot traffic and higher customer expectations than at any other time of year. The stores that thrive aren’t always the biggest — they’re the ones that prepare early and stay organized when things get hectic.

Here are four practical ways you can get your jewelry store ready for a successful holiday season.

Jewelry Innovations
Serinium® bourbon
barrel wood
stone finish ring
MSRP $684
jewelryinnovations.com
800.872.6840

1. Start Your Marketing Earlier Than You Think

By the time December arrives, many shoppers have already decided where they’ll spend their money. That means your holiday marketing should begin well before the rush hits.

Start building momentum in October with email campaigns, social media previews, and gift guides. Showcase popular price points and make shopping feel easy for customers who may not know much about jewelry. “Gifts under $500” or “Top Picks for Anniversaries” can simplify decision-making and increase conversions.

Video content performs especially well for jewelry stores during the holidays. Short clips of sparkle, packaging, custom pieces, or staff recommendations can grab attention quickly on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Promote your holiday hours early. Customers want convenience during the holiday season, and outdated information creates frustration fast.

Most importantly, don’t wait until December to advertise engagement rings. Proposal season starts around Thanksgiving and continues through Valentine’s Day. If you want those buyers walking into your store, your campaigns need to be active well before competitors ramp up.

Chris Ploof
Modern Electrum™ Wyvern band
MSRP $1,160
chrisploof.com
978.728.4905

Chatham
14K two-tone lab grown blue sapphire ring
MSRP $6,079
chatham.com
800.222.2002

2. Protect Your Staff from Burnout with effective scheduling

Holiday retail can be exhausting, especially in jewelry where customer interactions are longer and more emotionally driven. Your top-performing employees are valuable, but they can’t operate at full capacity for weeks without proper support.

Identify your key people early — your best salesperson, your repair expert, your inventory lead, your strongest closer — and build schedules that protect their energy. A burned-out employee makes more mistakes, delivers poorer customer service, and is more likely to call in sick when you need them most.

You should also prepare your staff with refresher training before the rush begins. Review financing options, warranties, upselling techniques, and holiday promotions so everyone feels confident when traffic increases.

Alwand Vahan
Men’s 14K & sterling hook bracelet
MSRP $2,450
vahanjewelry.com
914.937.1800

Customers want convenience during the holiday season, and outdated information creates frustration fast.

3. Tighten Up Your Inventory Management

Nothing hurts holiday sales faster than running out of your bestsellers.

Review last year’s sales data and identify which products moved fastest during the holiday season. Focus on proven high value categories.

This is also the time to audit slow-moving inventory. If certain pieces haven’t sold in months, consider bundling, discounting, or rotating them out before peak season begins.

You should also increase communication with vendors early. Shipping delays and inventory shortages become more common as the holidays approach, especially for custom orders and repairs.

Phillip Gavriel
Silver men’s double cuban bracelet
MSRP $1,365
phillipgavriel.com
800.622.0960

4. Use Technology to Reduce Holiday Chaos

The right technology can save your team hours during the busiest weeks of the year.

Make sure your POS system, inventory software, and customer database are fully updated before the season starts. There’s nothing worse than system issues during peak traffic.

Automated email and text reminders can help with repairs, pickups, and layby payments. Appointment booking tools can also improve service for bridal consultations and custom design meetings.

If you don’t already offer online browsing or click-and-collect, the holidays are a good time to start. Many customers research online before visiting in person.

Finally, pay attention to your customer data. Your existing customers are often your best holiday buyers. Personalized outreach based on previous purchases can generate repeat sales far more effectively than generic advertising.

A smooth holiday season rarely happens by accident. If you prepare your marketing, staff, inventory, sales process, and technology now, you’ll put your store in a much stronger position when the rush arrives.

Rio Grande
14K white gold diamond-set lab grown ring
MSRP $3,190
riogrande.com
800.545.6566

Midas Chain
Sterling silver 5mm round bead mariner lock bracelet
MSRP $411
midaschain.com
201.244.1150

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