John Thomas Jewelers ABQ Uptown
By Ron Davis – Reporter, Albuquerque Business First
November 23, 2021, 5:47pm MDT
John Thomas Mead and Janelle Mead hope the new renovations at their Uptown jewelry store will shine bright.
The co-owners of John Thomas Jewelers have redesigned the store into a more hands-on experience for customers. The days of looking down in display cases are over. Instead, earnings, tennis bracelets, necklaces and more will meet customers at eye level in display cases and pull-out shelves — a break from the traditional layout.
After throwing a grand opening celebration on Nov. 20 on the third floor of Uptown Tower at 2440 Louisiana Blvd. NE, there is still work to be done. The finishing touches are being put on a children’s playroom and a try-on station to give a literal hands-on experience for its inventory. Local companies Brace Builders LLC and Improve Group Inc. were listed as the building contractors, according to building permits with the city of Albuquerque. The permit, issued in early October, shows work was completed Nov. 17.
Janelle Mead said the inspiration for the new layout came from a trip the two took to the Antwerp Diamond Exchange in Belgium. The two had dinner in a hidden restaurant in the basement of a building. She doesn’t remember the food, but the unique experience and how it made them feel stuck with them. The two wanted to replicate that different kind of experience in their shop.
“So far it’s a big hit. When you come in, you’ll see that there’s no jewelry stores like this anywhere,” Thomas Mead said.
Thomas Mead said renovations cost about $250,000. The jeweler has been operated at the location since 2013. Over that time, John Thomas Jewelers underwent another renovation — in 2016 — that expanded the square footage and upgraded technology for custom orders. Thomas Mead said the $40,000 investment was recouped in less than two months.
This time, he said the timeline will be in the hands (and ears and on the necks) of their customers.
Thomas Mead said the jeweler does about $3 million in annual sales but only keeps a fraction of that value in-house. He said the idea is to have customers order something specific to their tastes that John Thomas can render and design. That process can take a maximum of four weeks depending upon the complexity of the design. Over its time in operation, Thomas Mead recalls making earnings in the shape of logs and a ring in the shape of a frog and countless others.
John Thomas Jewelers was a 2020 Fastest-Growing Company honoree after reporting 7.17% continued growth over the previous three years.
John Thomas operates a more than 2,000-square-foot office space at Uptown Tower on the third floor. The building received a facelift after the trio of Lance Sigmon, Brad Allen and Prakash Sundaram purchased the building in 2019. The group made interior and exterior improvements to the space and plan a 120-room Element by Westin hotel adjacent to the building.
Originally reported on ABQ Biz First: https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2021/11/23/john-thomas-jewelers-showcases-renovations-abq.html Allen Sigmon Real Estate Group is a full-service commercial real estate company based in Albuquerque with an expertise in acquisitions, brokerage, development, and property management. As a local company, we pride ourselves in our knowledge of the New Mexico commercial market and the relationships we are able to foster compared to larger national firms. Our office works with every kind of commercial property; including office, industrial, retail, land, and multifamily. Our understanding of client needs and concerns not only comes from our experience as an office but also as owners and investors of commercial property ourselves. We have an excellent team in place that is eager to work on your behalf; our results speak for themselves.
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