Cobram’s Noonans Showcase Jewellers turned 51 years old on Friday, June 2 and according to co-owner Cath Noonan, the business is going from strength to strength.
Mrs Noonan and her husband Andrew Noonan took over the business from Andrew’s parents in the mid-1990s.
In 2023 they were finalists in the categories of Australia’s Champion Jeweller and Australian Business of the Decade at the Australian Small Business Champion Awards.
In 2022 they won Australia’s Best Small Business Jeweller.
In 2021, at the same award ceremony, the Cobram business came out as winners in the category Australia’s Champion Jeweller.
Mrs Noonan said the store was originally a gift store before transforming into the jewellery store that it is today.
“We are specialists in diamonds, in both mined and lab grown. Good quality gold and silver, but we also hold big accounts with Pandora, Ellani, Von Treskow ... we hold a lot of the bigger brands,” Mrs Noonan said.
“We are the only store in a sort of 60-70km radius that sells Pandora.”
Mrs Noonan said that though the business did trade in expensive jewellery, they had something for everyone’s budget.
“We can sell things that are worth $20 and things that are worth $20,000,” she said.
The store caters to both men and women, and along with jewellery, sells a wide variety of watches.
Mrs Noonan said the store could also repair or custom-make jewellery for individuals seeking a unique item.
“We have a huge repairs department,” Mrs Noonan said.
Noonans Showcase Jewellers are typically very busy during the Christmas period as well as Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.
Asked about the secret to business success, Mrs Noonan said it was putting customer service front of mind.
“What you've got to have first before anything is great customer service, because if you don't have a rapport with people, people won't come in,” she said.
The importance of building a rapport and having a welcoming environment is not just reserved for customers, with many of the store’s staff being long-time employees.
“We’ve had one lady that worked with us for 29 years,” she said.
Mrs Noonan said anyone looking for a gift for a special someone or themselves should come over and check out the range of stock and have a chat with the friendly staff.
“Come in and see us, say hi,” she said.