Business Spotlight: Justice Jewelers

Woody Justice still remembers the time his father left the dinner table on Christmas Day because someone needed his help. Justice's father owned the only drugstore in Chillicothe, Texas, and one of his customers was sick.

"People depended on my dad," said Justice. "I learned the value of customer service from him."

Justice's learned commitment to customer service has served him well. Over the years he's managed to carve out a niche for Justice Jewelers in a market that's largely dominated by national retailers.

The Texas native, who is a Gemological Institute of America gemologist and instructor, began Justice Jewelers in August 1982 when he opened a small office in Springfield's Corporate Center. Initially, Justice did appraisals and sold jewelry by appointment. He soon discovered, however, that Springfieldians preferred doing business in a more traditional retail setting.

Justice did some research and discovered Springfield didn't have any longtime jewelry stores. In fact, only a handful of stores served area residents. Aggressive and determined, he developed a long-term plan to make Justice Jewelers the dominant jewelry store in southwest Missouri.

In 1984, Justice opened a traditional retail store at 1308 E. Sunshine St. Five years later, he began promoting the store in radio ads that were designed to make shoppers think of Justice Jewelers whenever they thought of jewelry.

"The people at the ad agency really liked my voice, and they encouraged me to do my own radio spots," said Justice. "I think the ads convey a personal approach. You can't go to Zales and meet Mr. Zales, but you can go to Justice Jewelers and meet Mr. Justice."

In 1990, Justice Jewelers relocated to the Brentwood Center on South Glenstone Avenue. The additional retail space, coupled with the store's location across the street from the Battlefield Mall, helped ensure solid sales growth. By 1994, Justice Jewelers had outgrown the location.

Justice, meanwhile, had been tracking changes in the industry. Jewelry stores nationwide were beginning to leave shopping malls and build their own facilities.

In a leap of faith, Justice left the 1,800-square-foot store in the Brentwood Center and moved into his own newly constructed 9,500-square-foot building at 3520 E. Battlefield Road near U.S. Highway 65. At the time, some people questioned the wisdom of building a large retail store so far away from the mall.

Justice, however, had done his research. Store owners and restaurant managers in the area reported strong sales, and traffic from Highway 65 provided a ready source of drive-by customers.

The store, which opened in May 1996, has a 5,000-square-foot showroom, approximately 320 linear feet of showcase space, and contains a large repair facility that accommodates five goldsmiths, a master watchmaker, a jewelry polisher and an apprentice. The building also has one unusual feature a drive-up window.

"I'm probably the only jewelry store in America that has a drive-up window," said Justice. "Most places want you to get out of your car, come inside, look around and hopefully buy something. A woman who has two kids strapped into their car seats and just wants to drop off her watch for repairs is not in shop mode, though. That's why I have a drive-up window to make things more convenient for our customers. I'd rather make a customer than a sale."

Justice Jewelers meets customers' special needs in other ways as well. For example, customers who have a piece of lost or stolen jewelry often will enlist the help of the store's goldsmiths and in-house designer, who are skilled at duplicating jewelry. The store's in-house designer also works directly with customers who wish to create a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry.

Customers also can find a large selection of watches and jewelry. Justice Jewelers sells seven different kinds of name-brand watches, all of which come with free battery replacement. The store also carries a wide variety of jewelry in different styles and price ranges, ranging from colored stones to diamond earrings.

Although Justice spends much of his time overseeing operations and managing the store's 40 employees, he still finds time to handpick almost every diamond that's sold at Justice Jewelers. Many of these diamonds can be found in the store's bridal section. Forty percent of the store's annual volume comes from sales in the bridal section, Justice said, with bridal sales accounting for only 20 percent of sales at most jewelry stores.

"The fact that so many people buy an engagement ring at Justice Jewelers lets me know that we are the dominant jewelry store in southwest Missouri," said Justice.

Justice is planning to add a private showroom that can be used by high-profile customers or those who desire more privacy.

He's also continuing to raise money for Camp Barnabas in Purdy. The nondenominational Christian camp is geared toward children with serious illnesses and disabilities, and their siblings.

Last year, Justice Jewelers collected $25,000 from customers and matched it with another $25,000 to purchase playground equipment that will be used at Camp Barnabas. Justice said he hopes to match those totals again this year, which will be used to build a water park at the camp.