Pittsburgh’s Henne Jewelers, which was founded in 1887, has been trading in jewellery and watches for most of its history from different locations across the city.
The retailer’s current building was bought for around $4 million by the Henne family, an investment that paved the way for a major expansion of its showroom.
John Henne, the fourth generation owner of the business, has spent the past five years working towards a goal of more than doubling the retail space for the showroom, and making it a destination for luxury watch lovers, particularly fans of Rolex, which will have its own boutique and entrance when the project is completed.
The project is not without its challenges. Offices and apartments above the current showroom have an entrance and stairway that divides the space and impacts sight lines within the store.
That made it more difficult to accommodate the best watch brands, along with fine jewellery and a bridal suite.
The solution, Mr Henne explained to WatchPro, was to reconfigure and repurpose the entire three storey building, embrace the troublesome stairway, and turn it into a feature that links two floors of retail space.
When the project completes, most likely in January 2024, it will have 5,000 square feet on the ground floor, including a Rolex boutique and branded areas for Tudor, TAG Heuer, Grand Seiko and Montblanc, plus fine jewellery.
Upstairs will be 3,000 square feet devoted to bridal jewellery, with private consultation areas and even an outdoor terrace where a couple can see what their engagement or wedding rings look like in natural light.
Right now, Henne Jewelers is operating out of a temporary space, which used to be a bar, in the same redbrick building, while the major work is going on.
In phase one of the reopening, expected to be in November this year, the main retail area over two floors will be unveiled.
It will then take an additional few months to refurbish the old bar to make it part of the new showroom.
Mr Henne believes the business will have invested another $8 million, on top of the $4 million it paid for the building, by the time the project is completed.
It will include third floor offices, which are also being completely remodelled, and Mr Henne says are so well designed, they can become part of the customer experience.
