Wixon Jewelers
"We encourage our customers and friends to come for a timepiece, but stay for the experience."
– Dan Wixon
“People are surprised to hear that Wixon Jewelers just celebrated its 20th anniversary; they always think with a store of our size, we’ve been around forever, or it was my parents’ store,” comments Dan Wixon, who owns the store with his wife, Hope. In 20 short years, Wixon Jewelers has gone from four employees to forty.
“It’s funny,” remarks Hope. “When we look back, we don’t recall the hard times, but rather all of the great people we have met and the friendships we have made. It’s an impressive feat in 20 short years to have evolved into Minnesota’s largest independent jewelry store. Wixon Jewelers is passionate about timepieces. My husband and I love watches, and so does the entire staff.”
Their enthusiasm is obvious—and very contagious. When you walk into this beautiful store, you can’t help but notice watches. Lots and lots of watches. While Wixon Jewelers carries only eight brands, they are the perfect eight. Patek Philippe and Rolex lead the way, and are joined by A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, and Baume & Mercier. The Wixons feel this brand line-up satisfies everyone from fine collectors, to the fashion conscious, to the client who just wants a nice watch. Each brand was chosen for its its exclusivity, quality, consumer value, and reliability.
“We need to feel good about the pieces we offer our clients,” Dan affirms. “I’m not interested in something that sells well but is a repair nightmare, or essentially worthless in a year.”
Wixon Jewelers is all about relationships, both with their clients and their brand partners. Hope adds, “If we can’t see the potential for a long-term relationship, it’s not for us. We’re not looking for a one-time client who will never come back, or a brand that has a short-term popularity. We’re going to be around for a very long time, and for us to continue enjoying what we do, we must maintain good relationships. We sleep well at night knowing we do business the right way.”
Dan and Hope’s passion is evident in the way they run their store. They have three watchmakers on staff, trained both with the brands the store offers and other Swiss brands. They are meticulous about the work they do, and if you step into their watchmaking rooms, you must pass the white glove test! They are happy to come out and speak with clients about their watch questions, and have developed quite a following. It’s not uncommon for a client to ask for Len, Sarah, or Takahiro by name.
One of Hope’s personal passions is her watch-training program, which starts with watch basics and moves to the very technical. It focuses on brand specifics: understanding the new Patek Philippe Seal, being aware of the projects benefiting wildlife, ecology, and medicine that Rolex supports, and understanding the importance for Panerai of their new Manifattura movements, are some of the things to give both the salespeople and the clients a greater appreciation of individual brands.
Every member of the sales staff is required to know the content of Hope’s customized training book, and they are tested often. “My biggest pet-peeve is that most stores have just one guy who really knows watches. God forbid he’s on vacation! I am proud of the fact that every single salesperson at Wixon Jewelers is a watch expert…and 60 percent of our sales staff are women!”
All of the success Wixon Jewelers has enjoyed does not go unthanked. Wixon Jewelers takes pride in partnering with many wonderful organizations in Minnesota that are dedicated to improving their community. Wixon’s goal is to improve the lives of children, seniors, and animals.
Hope adds, “We applaud the hard work of the many volunteers that keep these organizations viable. We thank our clients for giving us the opportunity to help those in need.
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