Sep 19, 2020 4 min read

Editor’s note: This is a weekly series focusing on the importance of buying local.

For a local jeweler, trying to determine what the holiday season will be like for her business is a complete unknown.

While Colleen Interval, owner/partner of C&J Jewelry, Washington, is not ready to flip a coin to decide which way it may go, she has no idea what to expect.

“I think it’s going to be a tough Christmas,” Interval said. “It doesn’t look like the people will get the stimulus checks. They have a lot of bills to pay and jewelry is probably the last thing they will be thinking to buy. It’s more of a luxury.

“We have no clue about what to expect (from the holiday season),” she added. “This is just an exception, a crazy year. We’re different from the stores in the mall, they have corporate backing. This is our building. We have to pay our taxes. It’s just a tough, tough year.”

Interval was forced to shut down the family business, which has been in operation since 1984, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She reopened C&J Jewelry in August and happily said “business has been good.”

“I have no complaints,” she said.

Interval said she made modifications to the store, which included putting up walls between customers and employees, among other changes.

“We made some other modifications,” Interval said. “Honestly, everything business-wise is about the same. Our customers, thankfully, have all come back.”

Debbie Naser, owner of Debbie’s Jewelry Depot, also located on Jefferson Avenue in Washington – like C&J Jewelry – said her business has seen only about one-third of her customers return after the pandemic shut her business down from March 13 to May 15.

“It’s been terrible,” Naser said. “Somedays, I could just stay home.”

Debbie’s Jewelry Depot has been in business for 20 years.

She said the uptick in online shopping has also hurt her business and others in a variety of businesses.

“People were cooped up at home,” Naser said. “What else was there to do? People naturally shopped online.

“It kind of ruined our business.”

Naser has discounted more items to generate sales and plans for an open house in October to bring customers in to actually see her offerings in a more intimate manner.

Prior to the pandemic, she said wedding bands and engagement rings were her store’s best sellers.

Her plan will pivot to emphasize early holiday shopping.

“Having the open house and getting people into the store to actually see what we have is the goal,” Naser said.

“I want to get the shoppers in here early to do some Christmas shopping, especially if we have to close again.”

Interval remains hopeful and wary.

“This is the worst year ever for anybody in business,” she said. “No matter what, we still have to pay the bills – even with no customers.

“We don’t know what the future holds. But our re-modeling looks great,” Interval added. “We’ve been here 36 years and that’s a long time for a small business.

“We will be having seasonal promotions. It’s kind of a waiting game. We know we are going to have good days and some bad ones. Right now, the people coming in are older, who maybe have saved money over the years and have more to spend on jewelry. We’ll just see how this plays out.”

Naser said she doesn’t feel the independent jewelers have been overlooked, just part of a difficult time.

“Restaurant owners count on busy nights,” she said. “That’s their business. I don’t expect a herd to rush in here at anytime.

“I think we’re all in the same boat. My business is really no different than retail.”

Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Chris Slota at 724-225-1326 or by email at chris@belocal.net. Discount cards are available at the Observer-Reporter and Almanac office, 122 S. Main St., Washington.