Helzberg Diamonds is dropping Diamonds from its name and will now be just plain Helzberg (and not Helzberg’s, which the company has used intermittently).

“We think it’s a simpler name,” Brad Hampton, CEO of the 163-store chain, tells JCK. “It better reflects who we are. We are a full jeweler that sells a lot more than just diamonds. It broadens the appeal, and it’s easier for consumers to recognize.… A lot of our customers refer to us as Helzberg anyway.”

Hampton stresses that “we are absolutely not moving away from diamonds.… Diamonds are still a core part of our offering.”

The Berkshire Hathaway–owned company was an early adopter of lab-grown diamonds and still sells a large number of them, and it has no plans to change that, according to Hampton.

“I’m a big believer in natural diamonds—it is a big part of our business today,” he says. “But I’m also a believer in lab. We continue to see very healthy demand for lab-grown diamonds in the engagement business, and there’s an upside in the fashion business for additional penetration in lab.”

Hampton says that “we have seen some impact on retail prices” of lab-growns, as they have fallen in general.

“However, we’ve been able to offset a lot of that impact with the broad range of lab-grown that we offer,” he adds. “[Lab-grown] continues to be a financially very healthy part of our business.”

There has been a “slight shift in consumer demand” toward natural diamonds, Hampton says, but “nothing significant.”

Along with the shortened name, Helzberg is switching its store color from burgundy to blue. “It’s a more vibrant, welcoming, modern look,” says Hampton. The chain also has a new store logo—“to be a little more timeless, but also setting the stage for the future, Hampton explains.

“We think the new brand positioning and the look and feel and the new creative aspects bring the brand to life and capture the rich heritage of the brand,” he says. “We have been around since 1915. This new brand really captures and leverages that heritage but brings it forward in a fresh and modern way and is a better reflection of who we are today.”

He notes that Helzberg has invested in its online capabilities, and as a result, e-commerce sales have risen by double digits year-over-year.

Like many retailers, Helzberg has reduced its brick-and-mortar store count—it once numbered over 230 stores—but Hampton believes its “footprint will stay relatively stable.

“In some cases, we are moving stores from mall to off-mall locations,” he says, “and in some markets we’ll be looking at opportunities to expand.” Currently, about 70% of Helzberg stores are in malls.

(Photo courtesy of Helzberg)

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