Voice on the High Street – Lanes Jewellery

Name: Lanes Jewellery Location: Holt, Norfolk Year established: 1981 Number of staff: 5 Website: www.lanes.co.uk What is the history of the company? I was at art college studying graphic design and photography and found my career path by chance; in my late fathers shop I met a customer - Robert (Bob) Wallace - who at the time was buying his fishing tackle. He told me he was a diamond mounter in Hatton Garden, I showed an interest and within a week of meeting Bob he took me to his workshop in London. I began making jewellery in my parents’ garage, finished my Foundation Art course in Cambridge and decided not to be a hippy after all! Bob gave me a job and my formal training as a goldsmith and diamond mounter began. After around five years, I went to work in St. Albans as a goldsmith making commissions, which included work for De Beers. My parents, now sadly no longer with us, decided to semi-retire to Norfolk. I tagged along and with my father and a £12,000 loan (that covered all the fixtures, fittings AND stock), Lanes was born. My son Josh joined eight years ago. You have a strong focus on diamonds, how do you stay on top of consumer trends? We use Bransom systems for our stock control, this enables us to keep an eye on strengths and weakness in our stock. Social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are very powerful. We also keep our eye on what’s going on in the trade throughout the world. How have you managed to keep the business going? Outstanding staff!! We could not be in the position we are today without such a strong, enthusiastic and knowledgeable team. We try and cater for everyone’s tastes and budgets. Having practical skills and a fully equipped workshop helps a great deal. We can target many different areas, from traditional pieces to the most contemporary. How do you stand out from the competition? Keeping current is essential this day and age. We focus in areas such as social media and online. Reputation is paramount. To give an excellent customer experience. You have a stand out clientele, who is the biggest name to wear your jewellery? We have been honoured to work with some influential people, however we maintain that all services are discreet. Several years ago, after a regular client left the store, a new member of staff said to me, “I’m sure that man is famous, I recognise him. I’m sure I’ve seen him on Spitting Image!” What have been your biggest achievements this year? I don’t know if it’s an achievement, but a huge amount of work went into our new website. We were selected in the Inspiring Independents Top 100 for the fourth year running and we had an even better year than an already successful 2016! Also, Josh and I have now mastered our Rofin laser welding machine! What is your strategy for 2018? Staying active and not complacent. We intend to grow the Lanes brand and introduce own ranges. It’s important not to forget the little things and not let the amount of admin and red tape get us down. That’s something that all small businesses are unfortunately faced with... and for me to not to forget that I’m not actually working, it’s just my hobby!