While we all yearn for more sales,  landing a big customer can have it's drawbacks.  When I started my jewelry career my number one goal was to have my own pretty glass showcase in national high end department store.  A prominent logo, delicate displays and beautiful packaging.  Ah, I dreamed: the fame, the paycheck, the success!  After I landed my first large store,  I quickly changed my priorities. 

While smaller galleries were focused on new designs and the artistry behind my jewelry, major stores buying in bulk cared about two things: how much profit they could make, and how quickly they could move stock.  I'm not saying that this isnecessarily the way that all large stores work, nor that a relationships with big stores is wrong for all jewelers, but there are certainly some things you should consider before pursuing a commission with giants such as Neiman Marcus or Saks.

First and foremost you should decide whether you can or want to make the size of order that will be placed by a major department store.  Could you make 1,000 of your most popular design in a month?  Do you have the finances in place to be able to afford the raw materials for such an order?  Many jewelers forget that there is a high degree of repetition in filling huge orders, and for some, this takes the enjoyment out of the creation process.

English jeweler Georgina Etteridge says "A few years ago, I used to supply a number of the John Lewis department stores [in the UK]. I was thrilled to be able to do this and it did get my name out there but there was the draw back of creating repeats of ranges. I spent most of my time trying to keep them restocked and subsequently turned down a lot of private commissions. Since then, I have dramatically changed the way I work and now the significant proportion of my work is sold direct to the public, mainly at craft fairs. "

Another common complaint from jewelers who have been successful in getting orders from department stores or large chains is that they often try to squeeze your price down.  It is not uncommon for buyers to append the happy news of wanting to stock your collection with a caveat along the lines of: "We like your range, but we don't think we can market this design for $25.  If we were to order say, 200, we would require a further [insert shocking number here]% discount."  

As you desperately crunch the numbers in your head you will probably be torn between the prestige and security of such a large order and the fact that you would be taking on a massive amount of work for less than the profit margin that you have calculated for the design.  Will you end up being compensated for your time?  It is a question that only you can answer.