“Having the right people is our most important asset,” says Chau Lui, Director of Operations. “When you have the right people who are aligned with what you believe and who want to achieve the company vision, there is just a magic that happens. Our people are the force behind everything we do.” We are honoured to share that Paris Jewellers is featured in the newest edition of Canadian Jeweller Magazine. We would love for you to take a moment to read the article below, and learn about our team, our history, practicing gratitude, and our focus on celebrating stories with our customers every day.
From Paris, With Love
By Cayla Ramey for Canadian Jeweller Magazine
Bold and Blue
“All of our achievements are the results of a team working hard towards a common vision,” says Chau Lui, director of operations for Paris Jewellers. Strong leadership goes far beyond giving directions; it takes communication, coordination, and cooperation to build a great team—something that Paris Jewellers strives for every day. Their vision started in 1987, the family opened Paris Jewellers’ doors in St. Albert, Alberta. Their commitment to their team and customers led them to open 12 more stores by 2002. By that time, Chau joined the company, with her husband Matt and her sister Trang coming on board a few years later, and hit the ground running—opening another 16 stores in 15 years. “Coming into the family business and working together with my sister, we realized that we were very aligned on what we believed the vision for Paris Jewellers is. It has been a lot of hard work and dedication, but also very rewarding. We are still learning along the way and have yet much to accomplish, but having a team that is aligned on our beliefs is what makes it possible. We strive to be better today than we were yesterday,” Trang says. They dedicated themselves to making Paris Jewellers Canada’s most customer-centric retail jewellery brand. “By bringing together people who love what they do, with products that bring people happiness, we ensure each of our customers feels happy about every purchase they make,” notes their website.
A Fresh Perspective
As second-generation jewellers, Chau and Trang wanted to maintain the integrity of the brand their parents had established, but they knew Paris Jewellers had more to offer. While the two siblings grew up in the industry, they each had something different to add to the company. “I did everything entry level in the office, just so I could learn about the business,” Chau says.
With Trang as the financial officer, Matt as the director of property and asset management and Chau as the director of operations, they enhanced the Paris Jewellers reputation. Combining their talents and their passion for the industry, the trio has built a legacy for generations to come. “There is always something new to learn, whether it’s new products, new technology, or just new ways that we can make our people better, and ourselves better. It’s always fresh and challenging, and at the end of the day it’s really rewarding,” adds Chau. This willingness to learn from everyone makes the company truly unique—it takes a true visionary to be so humble. “We are very intentional about gratitude,” says Erin Hazen, the company’s marketing manager. “We practice it during the valleys of adversity and the peaks of success. Being grateful is what allows us to be present with our customers when we celebrate their stories, and defines who we are as a company.”
Birds of a Feather
It is most notable that Paris Jewellers doesn’t just claim to have great service: they practice it with their own team and with every customer. “Every member of the Paris team is like a component part of a watch. We work in unison. We work as one. No component is more important to the working of the watch than the other,” says Maziel West, district manager. The members of the Paris Jewellers team are just as passionate about what they add to the market as the family is. Having people who are so dedicated and inspired enhances their ability to create an optimal shopping experience. “We choose people based on our five core values, and these values represent who we are and our culture. So, we look for people who share our beliefs and our vision,” Chau says. Sincerity, commitment to quality, responsiveness, friendliness, and a can-do attitude are the five values that set the tone for the company. Finding people who fit in to their work culture is just the first step—they also provide extensive sales, product knowledge, and operational training. “Having the right people is our most important asset,” says Chau. “When you have the right people who are aligned with what you believe and who want to achieve the company vision, there is just a magic that happens. Our people are the force behind everything we do.” Every two weeks, Paris Jewellers sends out a newsletter featuring two employees in their stores. A large part of creating a community is staying involved with each other. No employee is a number, and everyone’s success is collectively celebrated. A business is an investment, if you don’t invest in every aspect of it, it isn’t likely to be as successful as you’d like.
Service from the Heart
At their core, Paris Jewellers is a family-owned business. Regardless of how many stores they open, they have created a community for their customers and their employees. Whether a head office team member, district manager, manager, or brand ambassador, Paris Jewellers believes these people are their brand. Because of their unique vision, they didn’t feel the need to stock a lot of branded product. While they want to offer a wide selection of goods, they have found that choosing, developing, and designing their own product best serves their clientele. “We’re passionate about providing that extra little bit of happiness to our customers’ lives. Luxury means different things to different people. Customers have more choices than they ever have before, and for them to spend their hard earned money, they have to really trust the brand,” Chau notes. On top of this, they also offer custom work from their in-house design team. The Paris Jewellers experience is, from top to bottom, about celebrating their customers’ stories. From the moment a customer hears about Paris Jewellers, they are embraced by a wealth of product choices, an easy-to-navigate website, and an army of supportive and welcoming staff. “Success is when every customer walks out of our stores happy and having had a great experience, whether or not they made a purchase,” Chau adds—although they haven’t made it easy to walk out of their store without purchasing something!
A Sign of Things to Come
Today’s consumers are not easy to engage. They need choices, reasons, and sometimes a good shove to get them to notice you. “[We create] interesting content, social media interaction, and a responsive website which allows us to provide an exemplary online experience for our customers. This also drives store visits, online purchases, and establishes our brand as customer-centric at all levels,” says Hazen. Paris Jewellers effortlessly engages their clients with their can-do attitude and their accessibility. So, what else can a successful business do to improve? “The six most expensive words in business: we’ve always done it that way. So, we’ve always tried to take the approach that change is good and necessary. If we’re not getting better, we’re actually getting worse,” Chau says. The family doesn’t just believe in change, they are constantly looking to learn and grow; a competitor is a learning experience, a new employee is another hand on deck. Companies don’t need to sacrifice quality as they evolve, which is evident in Paris Jewellers’ journey. “Working with my family to continue to grow this company has been such a great experience. We have been through many challenges, but have been able to overcome them because we work as a team that supports each other. Coming to work is fun—our entire team is like a family,” says Matt. One thing is for sure, they take everything in stride. This power trio doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon, and who can blame them? Every move that Paris Jewellers makes is strategically aligned with their vision, making them serious players in the industry. From the moment the first store opened, Paris Jewellers has made its mark. “What we are most grateful for is that customers still choose to celebrate their stories with us, there is no better honour than that,” Chau says.
Paris Jewellers is proof that the true recipe for success is a humble attitude, good investments, and a drive to succeed. With their unique approach, they are sure to find continued prosperity for years to come.