When Houston’s Zadok Jewelers moved into its new 28,000-square-foot, two storey showroom last year, it set a new bar for vast multibrand stores in the United States.
Now C.D. Peacock in Chicago is going the same route, opening a 20,500 square foot watch and jewelry emporium in the city’s premium Oakbrook Mall.
The showroom is expected to open in spring 2023.
Peacock has been under the new leadership of husband and wife team Steven and Qi Holtzman since the summer of 2021, and the creation of what the company is calling The Mansion in Oakbrook is the biggest decision they have made so far.
Mr Holtzman, the son of Peacock’s owner Seymour Holtzman, returned to the United States from Switzerland, where he had launched the Maîtres du Temps watch brand.
Before that, he was the Roger Dubuis North American distributor.
Mr Holtzman says the experience of pitching those high end watch brands to great retailers around the world has given him a valuable insight into how the very best stores run.
“I’ve been to a store in Italy where they have a great bar. A place in Moscow had a Michelin Star chef. I have been to Hour Glass stores in Singapore and Seddiqi in Dubai, which are some of the best retailers in the world. Having seen all of these things, the goal is to bring the best of it back to Chicago,” he tells WATCHPRO in our Big Interview for May.
As brands open monobrand stores, either directly or though franchise agreements with retail partners, traditional multibrand jewelers are having to prove the value they add through local knowledge, scale and impeccable service.
“It is a direction of the future for larger stores. Our brands are pushing us, not necessarily to sell more watches, but to have better sales and a great experience. What we all want is for customers to come into our store and feel the brands; feel what they are all about,” Mr Holtzman describes.
“The goal with this move is to do something that has not been done before. It will not just be us creating stores of this scale and style, you are going to see more of it in the future,” he predicts.
The Mansion will be anchored by a super-size Rolex shop in shop.
No other brands have been announced for the 2023 opening, but Patek Philippe will not be among them.
Peacock’s was embroiled in a lawsuit from a former employee who claimed the retailer was concealing sales of Rolex and Patek Philippe watches to grey market dealers.
That lawsuit was dropped, Mr Holtzman tells WATCHPRO. “It was almost immediately dismissed. That is what we expected because there was no merit to the allegations,” he says.
The legal dispute had nothing to do with Patek Philippe subsequently dropping Peacock’s as an authorized dealer. “There is no connection to the lawsuit. When we told them about our plans for a new location, they had to make a decision on whether or not to move forward with us. They decided not to renew,” Mr Holtzman explains.
The emphasis of the new Mansion showroom will be more on experience than product, Mr Holtzman promises.
“It can be very quiet when you walk into a jewelers and it can be uncomfortable walking up to staff. We want to be different. We want people to come in and hear glasses clinking [at an in-store bar] and people talking. A vibrant mood opens the door to a different kind of experience,” he teases.