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In Florida, Congress is back in session

By Michelle Graff
October 14, 2009
Retailer Scot Congress, a member of the family that founded Florida's Congress Jewelers, is slated to open Scot's Fine Jewelers on Oct. 19.
Sanibel Island, Fla.--A name that has been a fixture in south Florida for 25 years will return to retailing next week.

Scot Congress, a member of the family that started Congress Jewelers, is slated to open Scot's Fine Jewelers in Sanibel Island, Fla., on Oct. 19.

Congress' new store is a Rolex boutique that also carries a selection of high-quality diamonds and colored gemstones.

Given the current economy, it might seem like a strange time to open a store that focuses on high-end watches and jewelry, but, according to Congress, it's the stores that sell quality products that are best positioned to survive the downturn.

"It's a flight to quality," he said. "In this environment, if people are going to treat themselves to something, they want it to last. Fine quality and luxury like that never goes out of style."

Congress' new store, at 800 square feet, will start out with only two employees, Congress and watchmaker Chris Wiles.

"What's nice is I can keep the overhead (costs) low," he said.

It's quite a departure from the five Congress Jewelers stores he used to operate alongside his brother Doug, the largest of which was the 10,000-square-foot store in Bonita Springs, Fla.

Congress said when they opened the Bonita Springs location 10 years ago, the trend in American retailing seemed to be "bigger is better."

Today, times are different.

While he can't say whether or not U.S. retailing as a whole is gravitating toward smaller locations, Congress said it made sense for him to downsize because he's in a small town.
 
"In my community, that makes sense. A 10,000-square-foot store does not make sense here anymore," Congress said, noting that the light bill for that store alone was $2,500 a month.

"That's just too much," he said.

Founded by Larry and Dee Congress in 1983, Congress Jewelers started from two showcases in a Sanibel Island shoe store operated by a family friend. The business eventually grew to include a chain of five stores in south Florida.

Larry and Dee, who passed away in 2008, retired in 1998, at which point Scot and Doug Congress took over the business.

Finlay Enterprises Inc. acquired the family-run operation in late 2006.

Congress said following the acquisition, he had a three-year contract with Finlay that was set to expire at the end of 2009.

That contract was canceled about a week after Finlay filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early August, he said.

Like all other Finlay-owned operations, Congress Jewelers' four remaining locations--Congress said their fifth store, the downtown Naples, Fla., location, closed on July 1 when the lease was up--are in the midst of going-out-of-business sales.

And while he wishes he was opening more Congress Jewelers locations under the Finlay umbrella--instead of watching the stores his family founded close up shop--Congress wasn't disheartened enough to get out of the business entirely.

"I can't imagine...not being a retailer anymore," he said.
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