Grandis Selling Magic and Romance – Sarnia Observer

Article by Paul Morden for The Observer, Thursday, February 8, 2001

Reg Grandis doesn’t necessarily think of what he and his wife Maureen do as selling jewelry.

“We sell magic and romance,” according to Grandis.

Grandis Jewellers of Petrolia has been racking up awards lately, including a “business excellence” prize from the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce and being named Canadian Retail Jeweller of the Year.

And, the couple has managed to remain innovative and successful without leaving the small town where its business has roots stretching back more than a century.

It was back in 1895 that watchmaker A. C. Darling opened a store on Petrolia’s main street.

In 1943, he sold the business to Reg Grandis Sr., of Brandon, Manitoba who ran it along with his wife Mary until he died in 1982.

Prior to that his son Reg Jr. and his wife Maureen had completed university and watchmaking school in Toronto and were running their own business in Oakville. Buyers for their house and business there appeared around the time Grandis senior died and the couple headed back to Petrolia.

They didn’t originally plan on staying. The idea was to just be in Petrolia long enough to get things settled but then they found a house, settled into life in the town and took over the family business in mid-1990s.

Around that time, they bought another building for the business at 4224 Petrolia St. renovated and moved in.

The recent awards and recognition are just the most recent for the unique business.

“It certainly sparks the community’s interest,” Maureen said about the chamber and retailer of the year prizes. “It takes you up a notch in the community’s eyes.”

Being located in a small town like Petrolia is far from being a drawback for the business, according to Reg.

“I don’t consider myself a small town jeweller,” he said. ” I market and promote myself as a world-class firm.”

The company maintains two web sites, www.grandisjewellers.com and www.victorianromance.com and has done a considerable amount of business using the internet.

While the company also has a gemvision computerized design studio, digital photo studio and uses other technology, Grandis Jewellers isn’t about the cold use of technology.

In the last few months, Maureen and Reg Grandis, owners of Grandis Jewellers in Petrolia, won the Canadian Retail Jeweller of the Year and the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce business excellence awards.

“It’s all about building relationships,” Grandis said. Customers travel from as far away as Toronto. There is also a strong sense of history about the business that comes from having been in one place so long. Grandis said he hears stories about the rings and jewelry that his parents sold to people who are still coming into the store.

Plus, since the couple owns its store and stock outright, it has low overhead and can set competitive prices.

Grandis travelled around Canada for a while with a wholesale business and saw jewelry stores all over. When it came time to move into the new location, he decided to make it a destination store. “We want to make it a unique experience for people” he said.

There’s a wine cellar in the basement for example. Often when they sell and engagement ring, the couple also passes along tips to help make the moment the questions is asked something the couple can look back on fondly for years.

At one time, the couple was considering expanding and opening a second location. Grandis said he asked himself, “Do I want to manage people or do I want to deal with people at the counter?”

Dealing directly with customers won out, at least for now, he said, “Keep it small and high-class,” Grandis said is the approach they’ve decided on for the time being.

The bottom line, Grandis said, is that people come to a store like his when they have something to celebrate.

“We get to see the best of people all the time.”

Grandis Jewellers is one of only a dozen gem laboratories in Canada accredited by the American Gem Society. Grandis himself is also president of the society’s Canadian guild, and he’s involved in national industry initiatives, and on the board of the Chamber of Commerce.

Maureen, along with her work in the business, is active with the Petrolia Heritage Comittee and Petrolia Community Theatre.

“When it’s all said and done,” Grandis said, “there’s really not a big secret to our success. We just try to make sure that every single client is happy when they leave the door.

“We help people say the kind of things to each other that they have a hard time putting into words.”