One of County Wexford’s longest-serving jewellers is modernising the way they do business as they simultaneously reduce and invest in different aspects of their company, which they expect will only benefit their customers.
Mary Flood of Brooks Jewellers and Giftware, located on Charles Street, New Ross, is intending to reduce her hours of dedication to the business she’s been a part of since her teenage years, as she’s now approaching retirement, which aligns with need for some business changes in accordance with the modern day preferences of how their customers shop.
One change that the customers of Brooks can expect in mid-April of this year, is the closure of their giftware department. The gift shop, which offers a stunning range of homeware items such as crystal, ornaments, armchairs, and coffee tables, was an addition to the original jewellery business established almost 100 years ago in 1928 by John Brooks, and as the giftshop closes, the company identifies one of the main reasons for scaling back in this area is due to the newly-adapted shopping habits and living arrangements of their clients.
The fourth generation to take the reins of Brooks Jewellers is the eldest daughter of Mary and the late Mark, Rachel, who once lived above the shop with her family when she was a small child and also reared from a basket of tea towels in the shop as an infant. She explained that the gifts and homeware industry “has changed massively over the last few years”, which is why her mother has decided to “bring the business back to its roots.”
In further detail, Rachel explained a gifting habit that’s become less frequent: “The housing crisis has had a big impact on homeware, because the first thing is, young people are not buying houses, so they’ve no houses to fill with homewares. Then you have the arrival of IKEA, JYSK, and all these larger stores, which are great and people have moved towards practicality, but people do not buy ornaments in the way that they used to. Nowadays when people buy things for their homes, they normally have a function and people tend to focus more on spending money on practical items for their homes.
“I can’t remember the last time someone came in specifically for a housewarming present, compared to the earlier days of when we first opened the giftware shop, and it was often every day we’d sell gifts for a housewarming,” Rachel recounted, adding access to online shopping is also a contributing factor.
It’s not a decision that’s been made lightly, but Mary has decided to sell the building where the giftware department is located as a modified indoor archway currently links both the jewellery and giftware stores.
“Initially, those two buildings were separate, and as we prepare to close our giftware department, we don’t want people to think we’re closing altogether, in fact, it’s quite the opposite,” said Rachel as she detailed how her interest in the profession has brought her to work in Dublin, Stockholm and Paris. Since her return to the family business at Brooks following the sudden and tragic passing of her father, Mark Flood in April 2022, it has only inspired her more to expand the range of services offered at Brooks as she continues her studies every evening after work and hopes to graduate as a gemoligist in 2026.
As a busy, working mother in a leadership role in business, Rachel added that the addition of her studies is slightly challenging, however, she’s encouraged by “being able to provide a valuation service for insurance, among other aspects, which is a really positive step for the business and not many other jewellers can offer that to their customers.”
“We're expanding the jewellery services and trying to specialise more with the gemology knowledge because along with being a gemstone expert, I'm also an expert in buying gems as well and a diamond grader, which is part of the gemology degree, so, I know my diamonds,” she said with confidence in her smile.
“But, it also means that if a customer comes into the shop and has a question about any of our diamonds, I can answer it, and that knowledge and to have those expertise is important because jewellery is a trust business.
“People trust you when they’re buying their jewellery from you, and that trust is hard-earned,” Rachel said.
Talking about her own experience as a jeweller with her New Ross clients over the past 46 years, Mary shared her views on the importance of community as a thriving local and family-run business, which is exactly what her late husband prided himself on as he’s remembered for his love for his family and his local business.
“This business means so much to me,” Mary began. “While I started working here when I was 18 or 19 years of age, from day one, I didn’t know much about jewellery at all, but I came from a business background as my own father had a business which I worked in prior to Brooks. But when I moved in here, it was a little daunting at first. I was out at the counter, I started selling jewellery, and I found I really enjoyed it, and I did quite a few courses to help me understand what was all about, which quickly turned into me beginning to love it, then I got to love the business and the satisfaction of selling something that somebody loved and treasured.”
Mary shared that one element she particularly loves is knowing that there will be some sentimental value attached to the jewellery sold by Brooks to families and visitors of New Ross. “And it’s lovely to hear, when somebody revisits the shop years later, that they still have that cherished piece of jewellery,” she said.
“Honestly, the community we have in New Ross is something we’re very grateful for as we’ve had so much support from those around us, and people are coming from outside of Ross to shop here because we have a different offering. We’re not the same as ever other town, we have a uniqueness to us,” Mary added.
Rachel also noted that the “business owners in this town know their customers and often make their decisions in what they have on offer in their stores with those loyal customers in mind, sometimes ordering items specifically for those customers who appreciate the value of the service.”
Rachel recounted following her now 97-year-old grandmother, Vera, around the store as a child, then every day after school she would come straight to the shop to assist with as much as her capabilities as a young, yet determined, young child would allow. “I started getting paid to work here when I was nine,” she laughed.
“But I grew up here, and I’ve always been rooted here, despite spending years in different parts of the world. It’s in my DNA,” said Rachel proudly.
As the preparations are under way for the changes to be implemented, Mary and Rachel have confirmed that their dedicated staff members will remain in place, and in addition to the new services to be launched in the near future, the business will continue to offer personalised engraving, in-house jewellery and watch repair services, watch battery fitting, strap fitting, pearl re-stringing, and an outsourced evaluation service.