LAWRENCE: Long-time jewelry store closing location

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   When Fay Krichling learned that Vecere Jewelers is closing its store at the Lawrence Shopping Center, she was surprised.
   Vecere Jewelers has been a fixture at the Lawrence Shopping Center since 1980, when the family owned business decided to move from its original location in the Chambersburg section of Trenton. The shopping center is located between Brunswick Pike and Princeton Pike.
   But Bob Vecere, who purchased the business from his parents in 1991, has decided to close the store in Lawrence and focus on Vecere Jewelers’ Lambertville location at 19 Bridge Street. The Lawrence store will be closed by Christmas.
   ”I am a long-time, loyal customer,” said Ms. Krichling, who lives in Yardley, Pa. “I know the whole family. They are very caring. The store is a treasure, and so are all the personnel. They believe in what they do and they treat you like family.”
   ”I’ll get used to going to Lambertville,” Ms. Krichling said philosophically, as she browsed among the rings, necklaces and wristwatches at the Lawrence Shopping Center store Friday afternoon.
   Mr. Vecere said the decision to close the Lawrence store was not an easy one, but it was dictated by a combination of changes in the economy and changes in the business model for retail jewelry stores.
   The 2000s were good for Vecere Jewelers, but things changed around 2008 and customers’ buying habits changed, he said. The economy was “terrible” and it had an impact on everyone, he said, adding that “we made the best of a tough few years.”
   Mr. Vecere also pointed out that over the past 20 years, the “industry trend” for jewelry stores has been to operate in tighter quarters. Stores are getting smaller, he said, noting that the Lawrence Shopping Center store — which had been remodeled twice and grown since 1980 — is about 2,500 square feet. The Lambertville store, which opened in 2009, is about 1,000 square feet.
   ”The business model of a large store is not working any more,” Mr. Vecere said.
   The two stores also have different personalities. The Lawrence store has focused on designer jewelry, bridal jewelry, custom designs and repairs. The Lambertville store also features designer jewelry, but there is a selection of estate and period jewelry — pieces from earlier eras — as well.
   ”The Lambertville store is new and different. It’s a different atmosphere. It’s Bohemian. We are in front of people who would never have seen us at the Lawrence Shopping Center. They are coming to Lambertville for the bed-and-breakfast (inns). It gives us a great opportunity to get in front of a new customer base,” he said.
   While Mr. Vecere is excited about the opportunities at the Lambertville store, there are tinges of nostalgia and regret at the prospect of closing the Lawrence store.
   ”It was a definite process. You have to take the pros and cons — to stay or to go. It was hard. When you start to put it down on paper, it becomes reality. It has been a little sad. I have spent almost my whole adult life here. This has been our home,” said Mr. Vecere, who is 53.
   ”You talk about plans for the demise of a business — for over 30 years, you have been working in ‘the business’ and you talk about ‘the business’ like it’s a living thing, like it’s someone — and it becomes emotional,” Mr. Vecere said.
   It does hurt for awhile, he said, but once the decision has been made, it’s time to look ahead to the future “and you get excited about (the changes) and where you will be going.”
   In the meantime, Mr. Vecere said the Lawrence store is going to sell its inventory until there is nothing left, right down to the store fixtures. He said he plans to be in the store — whether it takes two weeks to sell the jewelry, or until Christmas.
   He said he hopes customers will take the time to visit the Lawrence store one last time, and that they will follow him to the Lambertville store, which is managed by his wife and partner, Linda Vecere. He is confident that some of their long-time customers will go to the Lambertville store.
   ”I have already heard it — at least 200 times in the last few days — ‘Bob, we’ll see you in Lambertville,’” Mr. Vecere said.