The death of the driving force behind a family-owned business in downtown Victoria has led to a destination store shutting its doors.
After nearly 70 years in businesses, Van Isle Jewellers will close for good next month at the corner of View and Blanshard streets.
Manager Cathy Scott, who has worked at the store for 35 years, said the decision to close is a direct result of the death of owner Kenn Munro.
“This has been a very difficult decision for us. The owners have always thought of our staff as family and that’s why he has kept us going as long as he has — to keep us in jobs,” Scott said.
But the six jobs will disappear when the store shuts Dec. 15.
Munro, the son of one of the founders of the company, Jim Munro, died last week after a short illness.
“He was a good man, a kind employer and his family, the staff here at the shop and his loyal customers will miss him greatly,” Scott said.
The store, which opened in 1948 in a second-floor office in the 700 block of Yates St., has been struggling financially for several years.
Scott said Munro had hoped to weather the storm, but suggested the time of the family-owned jewelry store is a thing of the past.
“Most jewelry stores are having a hard time. People now buy online and they are not going to mom-and-pop stores,” Scott said.
“It’s tougher all round. People are just not buying quality jewelry.”
Ben Moss Jewellers filed for creditor protection in 2016 and closed all of its stores. This year, Charm Diamond Centers, which had acquired the rights to the Ben Moss Jewellers banner, reopened 16 stores.
Scott said jewelry has always been a luxury item and sought out by those with disposable income.
“We have always catered to the middle class and the middle class these days has less disposable income every year,” she said.
“And this last year here has been even worse for us with the loss of so much parking.”
She said three parking lots within a few blocks of the store have been lost to development.
Scott, who got emotional when she thought of the hundreds of customers who have been coming to the store for generations, said the store made a go of things by branching out into consignment selling, though its bread and butter was repair, custom work and reinvention of older jewelry.
“What made us a go-to jewelry store was people could always talk to someone who knew what they were talking about,” she said. “This has been heart-wrenching.”
Van Isle, which moved to its current location in 2000, was well known for its jewelry design and fabrication, resizing, engraving, appraisals and cleaning.
Customers are being reminded that any piece of jewelry left with the store for repair must be claimed and paid for by Dec. 2.
