Inside the Retail Jewelers Organization Buying Shows

While RJO may call them buying shows, their approach is much more comprehensive than simply offering members the latest merchandise. Camaraderie is at the core of RJO, so each show falls somewhere between a reunion, a vacation, and a business trip. This camaraderie makes sense, as RJO was founded in 1966 by a handful of noncompetitive central Iowa jewelers looking for a more economical way to buy merchandise. Now, a half-century later, RJO has blossomed into a national jeweler support organization that serves more than 1,100 members while staying true to the original tenets of friendship and support.

In addition to highly discounted merchandise, each show offers members many opportunities to learn and grow their businesses. One of the most popular is each show’s slate of free seminars conducted by leading figures in the industry and experts in their field, covering a broad range of practical topics. Each seminar delves into topics of high importance to the independent retail jeweler.

Buying shows also feature several meetings and receptions that cover RJO-sponsored foreign buying expeditions and how to leverage them, jewelry system updates, and PR opportunities. Moderated sessions share what is working for member retailers in the areas of marketing, personnel, jewelry, and more, leading to new ways of thinking and essential takeaways to implement at members’ stores.  

All products and services at each show are reviewed and approved by RJO’s member-run Merchandise Review Committee, and prices are pre-negotiated to eliminate haggling and potential animosity between jewelers and vendors.

RJO’s vendors include internationally known brands and are the most trusted manufacturers and suppliers in the jewelry industry. The vendor membership offers merchandise in all styles, metals, and stones, across price ranges for every demographic. The buying floor is also home to a diverse range of support service companies, including financial services, operational systems, web services, marketing services, insurance, and assorted supplies from boxes to tools. RJO works to cover all retail jewelers’ needs through its vendors, thereby offering opportunities to maximize their members’ annual dividends.

Dividends? Yes, dividends. RJO is unique among jewelry retailer groups in that it is a co-operative, with each member being an owner and shareholder. The board is selected among its membership by its membership. As a co-operative, member/owners receive annual dividends based on the amount of merchandise purchased throughout the year from RJO’s roster of vendors, composed of well-known national and international brands and suppliers. Putting the most money back into its owners’ pockets drives many of the organization’s strategic decisions.

Members typically receive purchase vouchers at each show to reduce prices by an additional 1-3 percent, based on their previous year’s vendor purchase total. Each show also offers contests and opportunities to win cash prizes. As perquisites, attending qualified members receive travel discounts to the shows, and hotel nights paid by RJO during the event. 

Inquire about attending the exclusive, member-only RJO buying shows or apply for membership with full privileges by completing and submitting the form found at RJOmembers.com or by calling the RJO corporate office at 800-247-1774.

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