The Udells demonstrate year after year that family businesses understand the watch and jewelry industry like no other.
Founded in 1926 by Charles London, London Jewelers passed into Mark and Candy Udell’s ownership in the 1980s, when they took over from Mark’s parents.
Now, two generations of Udells work side by side to bring luxury watches and jewelry to their elite clientele in Long Island and New York, by way of a veritable empire of showrooms and boutiques.
Mark has had a knack for onboarding the biggest names in watches ever since his years at the University of Miami, during which time he worked for Mayor’s in Florida.
Understanding the undeniable appeal of brands like Rolex and Cartier, Mark and Candy set to work on building unbreakable partnerships in the 1980s that endure to this day.
With Mark and Candy’s children, Randi and Scott, and their nephew, Zach, taking their places in the business, London Jewelers is now exploring new markets.
“They’re amazing at helping to build the business by bringing in a younger clientele,” says Candy. “They’re building their own path and doing a really amazing job at what they do. My husband and I couldn’t be prouder of all of them.”
Growth into new areas of the market remains a top priority for the family.
In the past 12 months, the Udells have invested time and money into their operations in Short Hills Mall, with the opening of both a Patek Philippe boutique and a London Jewelers store.
And they won’t be stopping there.
Next year, London Jewelers will open a Panerai boutique in Short Hills Mall.
“We’re managing all of these openings with our partners in a very cautious way as we continue to build additional partnerships,” says Candy.
Understanding the need to work closely with partners both internally and externally, the retailer opened a corporate building last month to house all London Jewelers operations.
At 14,000 square feet, this hub will allow for seamless collaboration between smaller departments at London Jewelers moving forward.
