A Sparkling Century Fourth-generation jewelry store is a Kansas City, Kan., mainstay for 114 years.
By Linda Cruse
Some entrepreneurs start businesses. Others buy businesses. But very few are still carrying on a family tradition started more than a century ago.
Nancy Winkler, the owner of Winkler’s Diamonds, is sustaining a Kansas City, Kan., business that is not only a fourth-generation family tradition but also a tradition among its customers.
Generations of families have purchased jewelry at the store and then passed the treasures down to their children, just as the store has been passed down through the Winkler family.
Named the 1999 Small Business of the Year by the Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Winkler’s Diamonds is active in community affairs. Winkler serves as president of the Business West business association and serves on two committees of the Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce.
A strong advocate of Wyandotte County, Winkler touts the area’s advantages and reportedly $1 billion buying power.
“I believe that the retailers of Wyandotte County should be doing everything they can to meet the needs of the people of Wyandotte County,” she said. “As the area grows, more visitors will come into the area and sales will grow. I really believe in the future of Wyandotte County.”
Diamond in the Rough It all started with Nancy’s great-grandfather, Frank Winkler. A native of Germany, Winkler immigrated to the United States at age 18. A watchmaker, he lived first in New York, then moved to St. Joseph, Mo.
He met and married Elizabeth Sprengel. The couple moved to Kansas City, Kan., where he opened a jewelry and optical store in the 500 block of Minnesota Ave. in 1889.
As the city grew west, Winkler followed, moving the business to locations between 5th and 7th streets on Minnesota Avenue. The family’s three sons were all involved in the business, which eventually grew to three stores, including two in Kansas City, Kan., and one in Parsons, Kan.
Following Frank’s death, Nancy’s grandfather, Harry M. Winkler, took over the business. He passed it on to her father, Harry J. Winkler. In 1979, Nancy began working at Winkler’s Diamonds.
Early Years Nancy’s earliest memories are of visiting her family’s store at its downtown, Kansas City, Kan., location. The Winkler Clock—now an historical landmark—marked the location for customers.
“I remember going inside and just touching everything,” said Winkler. “And when new inventory arrived, it was just like Christmas. Opening the boxes and seeing the jewelry, china and gifts was so exciting.”
Winkler did not initially consider a career in the jewelry industry. “Women just didn’t do that then,” she said. “My career options were becoming a teacher, nurse or a ‘housewife.’ That is what women did in the working world at that time.”
Winkler attended the University of Kansas and obtained an advertising degree. There she met and married her husband, Bob, and they moved to Fargo, North Dakota. Nancy spent her time raising the couple’s two daughters. Then fate stepped in.
“At the same time a sales opportunity opened up for my husband in Kansas, my father asked me if I wanted to be a part of the family business and learn how to run the store,” she said. “I had never really thought about it, but it seemed like an exciting opportunity. I love working with people and had a ‘knack’ for selling, which I acquired in previous part-time jobs.”
Individual Style The family moved to Kansas City, Kan., in 1979, and Nancy began learning the jewelry business from her father. “I couldn’t have had a better teacher,” she said. “It was a hands-on experience and a career that I thoroughly love.”
After learning the basics of running the business, Winkler discovered that she had an aptitude for designing jewelry. She also had a talent for getting to know her customers.
“I’m good at getting to know each of the customers and helping them discover their inner self,” she said. “Jewelry is a wonderful way to display individual uniqueness. Designing jewelry to express that individual style is my specialty.”
For example, while she dresses conservatively, Winkler’s jewelry style is strikingly contemporary. “My jewelry style is much bolder than my clothing style,” said Winkler. “But it tells people who I really am.”
In addition to wearing her own custom-designed jewelry, Winkler wears many hats at the store. She’s the president, manager, buyer and jewelry designer as well as the customer service representative. She’s visible on the sales floor, and she purposely makes herself accessible to all customers.
“That’s why I don’t want to grow the business to 10 stores,” she said. “I represent the store, and I want to be available to customers who want my service. I couldn’t do that if I grew into a chain of businesses. Each customer is very important and my staff and I treat them that way.”
Myriad of Merchandise Although jewelry has been offered at the store since it opened its doors 114 years ago, the merchandise mix has changed to suit the changing times, Winkler said.
“In the beginning, the store primarily sold and repaired watches and offered some jewelry,” she said. “Jewelry options were more limited back then. Now the choices are nearly infinite.”
Following the Depression, the store began supplementing its fine jewelry lines with costume jewelry and gifts. “My grandmother enjoyed offering different gift lines,” Winkler said. “We had crystal, china, and flatware so we eventually began offering a bridal gift registry. During the sixties, our delivery van with the giant pink bow on top was a familiar site in the community. We’ve had everything from collectibles to greeting cards to luggage to quality jewelry and watches—whatever our customers wanted at the time.”
Winkler said the store has returned to its roots and is now focusing primarily on fine jewelry. “We do have gift lines available, because most of the people who come into the store are buying for others,” she said. “But well-made quality jewelry is our focus.”
“I won’t sell something if it isn’t a quality-made piece,” she continued. “And we have a full repair shop with a master goldsmith on staff. We repair watches and jewelry, do remounting and custom designing and handle all of our customers’ jewelry needs. The success of my business is directly related to my incredible staff and their belief in my same core values. We treat each customer with respect and honesty, taking the time to find the right item that is best suited for the individual customer or the occasion. Each staff member has been specially trained in their expertise as product knowledge is so important in decision making.”
Location, Location, Location During the 1960s, there were two stores: one downtown and one at Wyandotte Plaza, at 78th and State Avenue. In 1990, the downtown store was closed. “Business was very good, but I wanted to offer my services fully to customers and could only do that at one location.”
After analyzing the market, Winkler took a radical step in 1997 and moved the store to its current location on the corner, at the stoplight at 82nd Street and State Avenue.
The move was so controversial that she took out an advertisement in a local newspaper to explain her decision.
According to the ad, which ran on Sept. 5, 1997, the move was made to better serve customers “with a clean, bright, organized environment with merchandise that is good quality at affordable prices. I have been listening to your requests and comments … better parking, good lighting, lower prices, well-made items, better selection, new designs, faster service.”
Winkler was actually just following in her father’s footsteps. “In the late 1950s, my father moved the business across the street to the north side, where there had never been a retail business,” she said. “Everyone thought Dad was crazy. I guess people thought that when we moved to our current location. But this has been the best decision in the store’s history, and we are more accessible and visible to our customers.”
Winkler said she briefly debated whether to relocate outside of Kansas City, Kan., but ultimately decided to remain in Wyandotte County. “I am very determined about giving our customers a nice place to shop; a place where their needs are attended to, where they are truly cared about and helped in a sincere manner with good value for their money. No one should have to drive 20 miles for something they need to buy.”
“My goal now is to make sure that as the area grows west of Interstate 435, the businesses east of Interstate 435 aren’t forgotten,” she said. “The Business West board of directors has committed over $6,000 to a corridor study of the area that will serve as a master plan for future development. The goal is to ensure that the area thrives and remains viable.”
Winkler said that while Wyandotte County’s current growth is concentrated west of I-435 in the area of the Kansas Speedway and Village West, the growth is expected to have a trickle down impact on other Kansas City, Kan., businesses.
“Visitors spend time at the hotels, restaurants and attractions, building wealth for those merchants, who then become our customers,” she said. “I’m very excited about the future.
Linda Cruse is managing editor of Kansas City Small Business Monthly.
Keys to Success: “We’re honored to have been a part of life’s celebrations in people’s families for more than a century. We built the business on honesty, respect, integrity and value.” —Nancy Winkler
