Press

As featured in the Rochester D&C (2012)

Comings & Goings: Canandaigua loses a 'jool'

When Francie Schenck came up with the idea for her own jewelry store in the city of Canandaigua, she wanted a name that reflected the expressive, artistic quality of the items she planned to sell.

"Jewelry" wouldn't work. That's the word everyone uses. So she turned it around and reshaped it, as an artisan might shape a bracelet or necklace.

The word she chose was "Joolz."

Now, after five years in business at 112 S. Main St. in Canandaigua, Schenck is heading into semi-retirement. She's closing Joolz, the retail store, on Jan. 28 but will retain the online business to keep her hand in a business she's grown to love.

"You have to have a passion for what you do," Schenck said. "I have the jewelry gene. My mother and grandmother loved it and so do I."

The business specializes in glass, precious metal, hand-crafted and "one-of-a-kind" items. "We make things for women who want jewelry that they won't see on others when they go someplace, items that reflect who they are as people," Schenck said.

As featured on mpnnow.com (2012)

The art of e-commerce
By Scott Pukos, staff writer
Messenger Post
Canandaigua, N.Y.

On Saturday, Francie Schenck will be leaving her "second home."

Schenck, the owner of Joolz, a hand-crafted jewelry store at 112 S. Main St. in Canandaigua, is closing her store Jan. 28. However, this won't mean the end for her business: While she will no longer have the physical store, Joolz will continue through its website.

"I've been struggling with (the decision to close the store) for several months," Schenck said. "I have two grandchildren — one in Los Angeles, one in Denver — and it's almost impossible to go visit them. I have to plan ahead; I can't do anything spontaneously."

She added that this holiday season was a good example of why she made her decision to close the store.

"I needed to be here for Christmas Eve this year, because it was on a Saturday and I knew I would have those men with a 'deer caught in the headlights' look coming in, and I didn't feel it was fair to take off and leave my employee to handle that by herself," she said. "But it was very hard to be away from my family at Christmas."

Online only
Joolz opened in 2007 near Pizano's Italian Kitchen on Main Street. A year later, it moved across the street to 112 S. Main St. and has remained at that location since then.

Schenck said there is one aspect in particular that she will miss from her downtown Canandaigua location.

"It's a very social experience — having a jewelry store — people are usually coming in for happy reasons, and it's just wonderful when they find a piece of jewelry they absolutely love. They just light up," she said. "That kind of positive feedback will not be as immediate. I won't see it on their face."

While Schenck has made the change for flexibility and family reasons, the elimination of the store will also eliminate some costs, including payments for the location and for staff. (At the time of closing, Schenk had one employee.) However, she doesn't yet know how the change will affect business.

"I think you don't know until you try it," she said of the online-only store. "When I first started (Joolz), someone gave me very good advice. They said either open an online store or open a physical store, but don't open them both at the same time because they both require full-time attention."
Best of both worlds

Even some of the long-established Main Street stores have recognized a need to go digital.

"It increases our range," said Mark Hogan, owner of Davidson's Shoes Inc. on 153 S. Main St. "The range for local customers is probably 60 miles. (The website) opens up our customer base."

Hogan said he wouldn't eliminate the physical store, though. Davidson's has been on Main Street since 1894 and has been selling via its website since 1999.

Both Hogan and Jeff Anthony, owner of Dick Anthony Ltd. on 166 S. Main St., said that in today's retail world, it's essential to have both aspects — digital and a "brick-and-mortar" store. The store itself helps connect with local residents, while the websites allow a store on Main Street, Canandaigua to sell its product on a national or even global scale.

Anthony added that his business's website essentially has one function. "It's strictly a selling tool," he said. "Our three biggest-selling states are — in order — California, Florida and Texas. Before we had our website, we didn't ship a lot to California."

Moving away from Main Street
The departure of Joolz from Main Street makes it the second business to leave that area since late December — Floyd Rivers of Riv's Barber Shop retired Dec. 24. Currently, there are four empty storefronts on Main Street — not including the former All Things Art Building, which has an owner — said Liz Winter, executive director of the Canandaigua Business Improvement District.

She added that the empty storefront figure is less than at this point last year, and that out of the empty locations, there is expressed interest in two of the vacant spots.

Despite her exit, Schenck noted she feels downtown is still a vibrant area.
"I think it's poised for great things," she said. "It's unfortunate that I won't be there for that."

As featured on mpnnow.com

By Vasiliy Baziuk Francie Schenck, owner of Joolz in Canandaigua, helps Joyce Loss of Canandaigua try on a “cotton ball” necklace by artist Abra Gorby.

Jewelry sparkles from well-lit black lacquer display cases, each piece a work of art nestled against black velvet. Stark white walls with black trim and colorful abstract prints complete the backdrop of Joolz, among downtown’s newer stores.

Some jewelry designs are very traditional while others are more contemporary. Pieces range in price from $10 to several thousand dollars.

“Regardless of what they cost, each piece is well-designed and well-made,” says owner Francie Schenck, modeling a necklace of champagne, copper and smoke-colored Swarovski crystals shaped like tiny barbells, but not strung together in the usual way. Each crystal is set within a handmade sterling silver link, allowing the tiny barbell to shift slightly from side to side in this design by Toronto artist, Lisa Ridout.

“We are the only retail outlet for this artist in the United States,” says Schenck, who wants her customers to find jewelry in her shop that they won’t see anywhere else.

“They know it’s unique, and they have fun choosing something that says who they are,” she adds. Some of the 40 to 50 artists whose work the shop carries will even create special order pieces for customers.

Schenck pulls various pieces from display cases, talking animatedly about each one and explaining how it was created while talking about the artist. “We do our best to give excellent customer service, making it a fun experience,” Schenck says.

Artist Kerry Bogert of Ontario, Wayne County, creates one-of-a-kind pieces of Lampwork glass beads. One of her creations — a necklace in black and white featured on the Joolz Web site — is a rope of beads with different textures, twisted edges, swirls, stripes, squiggled lines, and raised dots strung together with silk cording.

Another artist, Jane Bohan of New York City, works in 18-carat gold with gemstones and pearls. Bohan won the Spectrum Award, given in the jewelry industry for outstanding design.

“She has won the award five or six times,” says Schenck. “Her designs are just drop-dead gorgeous.”

Among the Joolz artists are an opera diva who works with brightly colored Italian glass beads reminiscent of ribbon candy, another who creates jewelry from Japanese kimono silk, and another who makes inexpensive bronze jewelry that looks like gold.

“Too many favorites to choose just one,” says Schenck.

Schenck has her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to thank for her shop — they were all jewelry lovers.

“I knew about jewelry because it was something that I had always been interested in,” said Schenck, who has a bachelor’s degree in art history from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., an education that cultivated an appreciation for art and design. “I love good design.”

Schenck, who wanted to start her own business and be able to use what she learned, sought a retail outlet where she would be seeing people and selling something she loved. The jewelry was a good fit, but her store had to be something different because she lacked the background in gemology to run a traditional jewelry store. Thus her art inspired Joolz.

Schenck will take her show on the road as a vendor at the Thompson Hospital Guild Fashion Show, set for Aug. 21 at Bristol Harbour Resort.

Here is a bit about Francie Schenck.

Besides your business, the community’s best kept secret is:
“Canandaigua is developing into an arts destination. We have wonderful galleries and boutiques, exciting concerts featuring all kinds of music, fine craft shows and expanded music and dance opportunities through Hochstein at Canandaigua. Visitors are delighted with all Canandaigua has to offer its residents.”

This item is always in your fridge at home:
“Orange juice and chocolate. I’m happily addicted to both.”

If you could have dinner with one person, you’d choose:
“My mother died when I was 27. She only met two of her eight grandchildren. I’d like to tell her about (them) and about her wonderful great-grandson. I’d tell her about my shop and how her love of jewelry has been passed on to me and to my daughters.”