XENIA, Ohio — Since the beginning of the pandemic, a lot of local businesses had to evolve or close.
Tiffany Jeweler’s is one of the oldest businesses in Xenia and has been around since the 1840′s. By 1879, it had evolved from a variety store and clock shop to a full-service jewelry store.
Founded and operated by the Tiffany family, the business was eventually bought and run by the Swigart family.
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Thomas Swigart said, “As soon as I was old enough to work, I was in here.”
Swigart has been president since 1993.
“We do anything and everything here. From higher-end sales to costume jewelry to jewelry repair and watch repair,” Swigart said.
According to Swigart, the store has always been able to pay the bills, even during the pandemic. But he admits the jewelry business has changed. A lot of people now buy pieces online and some don’t buy at all.
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He said, “We had to draw people into our store to make our store a destination.”
Gemologist and store manager Dawn Rader and Jill Adkins, who oversees staging and customer service, went to work. Six year ago, they transformed an unused space to add more products.
Dawn Rader said, “We added tops, pants, dresses, purses, candy, Ohio BBQ sauces, jellies and we’re in the process of adding a pretzel line.”
Customers can buy those items alone or create a personalized gift basket. The store also rents tuxedos. However, the biggest money maker so far is candy.
Swigart said, “We put the candy out in the middle of December and by the end of year we’d sold more than 400 pounds of candy in December alone.”
Swigart understands if you buy some things online but encourages customers to buy local when possible.
“We try to build relationships. When a couple buys an engagement ring, we’re hoping to be there for their anniversaries, birthday’s and everything else,” Swigart said.
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