Trip to Malaysia!!! Royal Selangor Pewter, based in Kuala Lumpur, is one of our best selling giftware suppliers. They do an amazing selection of quality pewter Christening gifts, tableware, and even Star Wars and Marvel themed gifts. Royal Selangor recently held a competition to win a trip to visit their factory in Malaysia .... and Bensons of Ludlow won! So today Amy is flying out to Kuala Lumpur. Check out our story on Facebook and Instagram to see how she gets on. https://www.instagram.com/p/BpuHDthlHKd/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1v8dnuxbtmry8

A Reason to Celebrate

2018 marks the 40th year that Bensons of Ludlow has been in business and I believe that is definitely something to celebrate!  Not just because we’ve been around for that long.  No, because we’ve been around for that long and we’re still thriving.  With all the doom and gloom stories currently making the headlines about retail you’d be forgiven for thinking that the High Street is dead and the future is the internet.  Well, that’s not entirely the case…

What do I put our success down to?  Let’s look back at how our little shop first started.  40 years ago my father David Benson – an extremely talented goldsmith creating stunning and original pieces in silver and gold (and who also just happened to have an incredible head for business) – was looking for a place from which to set up a small manufacturing workshop.  His search brought him to Ludlow where he found a premises in Quality Square - which also happened to have a shop front.  So he decided that while he was making his beautiful items to sell to the trade, he may as well give retail a go as well!  It was a decision that paid off – the retail side of his business took off and gradually took over from the wholesale business.  

Over the years my father’s reputation for creating exceptional pieces of jewellery grew.  People would come from all over Shropshire to have pieces commissioned and he stocked the shop with stylish, well made jewellery.  ‘David Benson Jewellery’ (as it was known then) established a name for itself as an innovative, quality jewellers with something for everyone.

The business grew and in 1984 my father moved to our current premises in the iconic Buttercross building in the heart of Ludlow.  A bigger premises was filled with more stock – watches, giftware, more jewellery – but the focus was always on quality and exceptional service.  The upstairs of this historic building has an airy mezzanine floor where the workshop is located.  My father continued to craft his beautiful items and took on an apprentice, Trudi Makins.  30 years later and Trudi is still with us – she now creates her own stunning creations having learnt her craft from an exceptional man.

My father retired five years ago but still loves to come into the shop and meet old customers and do a little bit of work at the bench.  And the business still thrives – built on his lasting vision of exceptional service and quality.  

And this is why we are still here and still going strong even with the fierce competition from the internet and the increasing pressure of rising rates and other overheads.  We offer an enjoyable shopping experience.  We offer fantastic service with a smile.  We offer good quality unusual products.  We offer an on-site workshop for repairs and commissions.  

Of course we can’t ignore the internet entirely… so we’ve set up our own website.  Here we try to replicate the ethos of the shop as best we can.  Our products are stylish and good quality.  We offer a great level of service responding to all enquiries straight away, despatching orders the same day wherever possible and treating every customer as an individual.

It isn’t all plain sailing.  Retail – be it on the high street or online - is very hard work.  Times are changing and very rapidly.  Businesses set in their ways and unable to move with the times will suffer.  The face of the high street will soon become very different… more coffee shops, bars, beauticians and niche stores. You have to stand out from the crowd, offer something different.  I believe that humans will always need contact with other humans.  The social interaction that happens in shops is important and people will always want it.  The High Street won’t die but it will change and those that can ride the storm that is currently raging will emerge as successful and popular stores.

So here at Bensons of Ludlow we are always looking for new exciting products to offer our customers.  Unusual and bold silver collections.  Jewellery with meaning.  Engravable personalizable gifts.  One-off handmade pieces. Our current focus is on ethical jewellery.  We stock a selection of beautiful items made using Fair Trade gold…. wedding rings, diamond rings and our own bespoke pieces.  By choosing Fair Trade gold, a customer is choosing to make a real difference to the lives of mining communities around the world.  We are also extremely excited to be the FIRST stockists in the UK of a range of gemstones and jewellery from ‘Jewels of Queensland’ - opals, sapphires and zircons sourced directly from the mines in Australia.  But more about that soon!!

Celebrating 40 Years of Service Excellence

In 1978, Bensons of Ludlow was established by master goldsmith David Benson.  His vision was to fill his shop with beautiful, well made jewellery and watches - and ensure that each and every customer felt special and valued.  40 years later and Bensons of Ludlow continues to fulfill that vision under the helm of David’s daughter Amy and her husband Dave.  

The shop stocks a wide range of classic and contemporary jewellery, watches and giftware and specialises in unusual designs, interesting coloured gemstones and diamonds.  It is also proud to be one of the first shops in the country to carry a range of diamond rings and hand made jewellery using FAIR TRADE GOLD.

Upstairs there is a large, well-equipped workshop where an extensive range of services is carried out including jewellery repair and restoration, re-threading, engraving, valuations and commission work in silver, gold and platinum.

Brands stocked include Claudia Bradby Pearls, Kit Heath Sterling Silver, MURU, Orla Kiely, Fiorelli, Fred Bennett, Rotary Watches,  Skagen Watches, Bering Watches and Seiko Watches.