Newest location of Oklahoma’s oldest jeweler receives recognition from INSTORE’s America’s Coolest Stores Contest

On September 15, 2020, Chamber Member BC Clark opened their newest location in Classen Curve. If you’ve visited, you will not be surprised to hear that this incredible space was awarded first place in INSTORE’s America’s Coolest Stores Contest. Evaluated based on back story, interior, exterior, marketing, online presence, and individuality, it’s a worthy win for a store that’s been serving Oklahomans since 1892—years before we were a state!

The BC Clark in Classen Curve is the largest jewelry store in Oklahoma. With 17-foot ceilings, a 16-foot chandelier, and 8,500 square feet of showroom space, the building is nothing short of impressive. There is a concealed hole in the showroom aisle for a putting green, a wine bar in the upstairs lifestyle lounge, and a generous selection of unique jewelry.

“We were at Penn Square for over 30 years, which was great,” said Coleman Clark, BC Clark President. “When it came time to renew our lease, we started looking at our options. Location is important to us, and Classen Curve fit our store and clientele. It was a perfect match, and it’s proven to be a good decision in the past year.” Coleman runs the business alongside his brother and father. The three men make a great team and represent the third and fourth generation of family tradition in carrying on the store’s legacy.

Though the Classen Curve building was already built when BC Clark took over the storefront, they used Chamber Member HSEarchitects to add stunning and effective elements to the space.

“The new location has a very luxurious and impressive feel, but it’s also warm and inviting,” said Clark “It can be intimidating when you walk into a building like that with all of the hard surfaces and high ceilings. We added windows and wood elements to make it feel more welcoming, but the most important factor in making our stores warm is our staff.”  

The location in Classen Curve is one of three in the city. The other two stores are located downtown on Broadway and Park Avenue and at Northpark Mall on 122^nd and North May. Each store offers an exceptional collection of designer ware and jewelry, but the Classen Curve store surpasses the others in product quantity. “We hear from vendors who come in our store and these are people who go to hundreds of jewelry stores and they tell us that it’s the nicest store they’ve ever been in,” said Clark.

BC Clark has a long history in Oklahoma, and so does its staff. Some BC Clark staff members have been serving the store for over 40 years. “A client may make a purchase from us and ten years later come back to find the same salesperson from years before. I think the biggest part of what’s kept us successful is our staff,” said Clark.

“We could take our model and our philosophies into another market and be successful, but it’s hard to put a value on our history and how engrained we are with our community here,” said Clark. “It’s hard to imagine what it would be like if we went somewhere where no one knew BC Clark. We could possibly expand to other cities, but we’re pretty happy where we are. It’s home.”

“We make our decisions for the long term,” said Clark. “We’ve been here for 129 years and plan to be here for another 100. We just felt that Classen Curve was a good place to be for the next 10, 20, or 30 years.”

Learn more about the INSTORE award here.