Behind the Brand, Meet the Sisters and Co-Owners of Paris Jewellers
When you first meet Chau and Trang, sisters and co-owners of Paris Jewellers, you might never guess that they are the vision and heart behind a 27 location (soon to be 29!) luxury jewellery retail brand. On any given day you will find Chau fielding a variety of tasks – from helping a customer choose the perfect engagement ring, to hard-line negotiating agreements with vendors. Peer into our head office in Edmonton, Alberta, and you will often catch Trang working on the day-to-day accounting, while simultaneously preparing the entire chain of stores for an intense point-of-sale system transition. While this dynamic duo is far happier to operate behind-the-scenes, we are thrilled to take this moment to share some of their story.
Starting with their emigration as young children to Canada from Vietnam, Chau and Trang learned early in life about tenacity, fortitude, and dedication. They learned from their parents that hard work and integrity will lead to a life of grace and gratitude. You might wonder where their tireless drive comes from? Where their desire to ensure that every customer is happy with every purchase they make, because people work hard for their money? It comes from experience. Growing up with very little, Chau and Trang learned early on that gratitude makes what we have, more than enough.
One of our favourite stories of Chau and Trang (who are now the second generation to lead Paris Jewellers), is about how they were in charge of writing the ‘sale’ signs for Paris Jewellers as youngsters – learning early that everyone has to pitch in when needed. In 1987, Paris Jewellers operated one humble location (our original store, St. Albert Goldsmiths in St. Albert, Alberta), and were happy to do so – fulfilling their Canadian dream of owning and operating their own business.
Little did those two young team members know that three decades later they would be at the helm of a thriving business that employs 230 Canadians, across four provinces. The story of Paris Jewellers is a true Canadian entrepreneurial testament. One that we are excited to continue sharing with you as we celebrate our 30th year in business.
As always, we are grateful beyond measure for the opportunity to celebrate the stories of our valued customers, and spend our days with amazing team members. When we look back at where we came from, it inspires us to continue to look forward with hope, love, and thanks.