New Westminster's Cartwright Jewelers set to close its doors after 87 years
After 87 years, New Westminster's Cartwright Jewelers is beginning the process of shuttering its doors.
Owner and third generation jeweller Susan Cartwright-Coates says they'll be starting a retirement sale July 15 and will keep the doors open until all the store items are sold. Cartwright-Coates says it's been very emotional.
"I range from having tears in my eyes to joy in my heart," she said over the phone while adding she's already received hundreds of emails and phone calls from their customers, since going public with the closure.
Although many businesses have had to close their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cartwright-Coates says it didn't impact her decision to close the jewelry story located at 639 Sixth Street. She started to think about retirement in 2019 after many discussions with her father, Don Cartwright.
She said before he passed away, they both agreed there wasn't another generation to keep the business going. Once she was ready to retire, she said she had his full blessing to sell it.
"I know he's looking down and is very happy with the decision I've made," she said.
The family business
Cartwright Jewelers has been family owned and operated since 1933. The store's website says James Daniel Cartwright started the business as a watchmaker and jeweller in downtown New Westminster on Clarkson Street.
His son Don Cartwright followed in his father's footsteps in 1965 and took over the business in 1980.
Cartwright-Coates officially joined the family business in 1984 but has been working there since she was a kid, wiping the counters, polishing the wood cabinets and folding jewelry boxes on Friday nights and Saturdays.
"My grandfather had a family tradition — if you were old enough to see over the counter, you were old enough to work," she said.
'Low and slow' sale
Cartwright-Coates said it will likely take months to sell all the items because of COVID-19 restrictions. She's coined it the 'low and slow' sale because they'll only be allowed to have a few customers in the store at a time.
"It will allow us to help our customers and to say goodbye and have customers share memories," she said.
She also said all employees will be wearing masks or face shields and customers will be spaced out as much as possible.
The custom design and repair departments will still be open during the sale.
What's next?
They don't own the building the business is in, but Cartwright-Coates said the business itself is up for sale.
Once it's all said and done, the 55-year-old looks forward to spending more time with her daughter and five grandchildren in Salmon Arm, B.C.
"Those kids are living their best lives running around their farm barefoot, so, I want to run around the farm in bare feet too."
