Dallas Institution Rebounds From Hard Times
Village Jewelers reopens after five months
NBCDFW.com
Village Jewelers is back in business, but with a new focus.
The landmark building on Preston Road may have a new owner, but Village Jewelers is back in business.
The Dallas institution closed up shop Feb. 20 after more than 30 years in business. Business was down, and the bank wanted money so bad it closed the store's credit line.
But after liquidating the inventory at all five Village Jewelers locations in Dallas, Southlake, Frisco, Arlington and Allen, owner and founder Phillip Samuels is better off than ever.
"I'll tell you, the most wonderful thing that's the outcome of this is that I don't owe the banks one nickel," he said. "I will never ever owe the banks one nickel again in my life, and it's an absolute pleasure."
Samuels and a small staff now operate out of a single, small location on Neutron Road in Dallas the used to serve as the Village Jewelers corporate offices.
Samuels now offers high-end jewelry at wholesale prices direct to the public.
"Everything we sell and everything we offer is at least 60 percent below retail price," he said.
The store opened July 20, five months to the day the others closed.
And it will soon offer customers a high-tech way to design their own jewelry.
"We'll design a piece of jewelry right in front of them on the computer, and we will produce that piece within three weeks and deliver it," said Samuels, who is glad to be back in business. "I missed talking to people and visiting with them and showing them beautiful pieces of jewelry."
Posted Friday, Jul 30, 2010 - 9:54 PM CST
