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October 19, 2016

The Clarion-Ledger

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Jingle at Highland Village rings in the season

Fran and Alan Weeks, retailers who own Turkoyz and Turkoyz at Home, have opened a third shop at Highland Village in Jackson.

Jingle, a pop-up Christmas shop, is the newest member of the Weeks’ retail family.

Located in the northeast corner of the renovated courtyard in the space that once housed the tween and teen clothing store Polka Dot Pony, Jingle specializes in everything you need to make your holidays merry and bright.

With a trip to Jingle, you can outfit your home with candles in scents from Fraiser fir to cinnamon beignet, decorate your tree with ornaments in most any holiday motif you can name (angels, antlers, ballerinas, birds, crosses, doves, elves, hearts, reindeer, Santas, sea horses, sea shells, stockings and snowmen) and dress up your living space with nativities, Christmas pillows, stockings and trees of varying sizes.

Want to give your Christmas tree or home a beach theme, a glitzy look or nostalgic feel?

Jingle can help you do so, with everything from tabletop trees covered in oyster shells to vintage-style Santa decorations.

“We’ve got great gifts for teachers, bunko groups, ornament swaps, dirty Santa parties and work,” said Fran Weeks of the almost 2,000 ornaments the store stocks.

You can also find a gift for your pet by shopping in the pet corner stocked with holiday-themed toys, collars, stockings and pillows.

Jingle Coins — Highland Village’s unique take on gift certificates that are actually gold-colored coins packaged in green velvet bags –are available to purchase at the store.

In keeping with the store’s festive name, employees, who wear red aprons, jingle when they walk thanks to the slippers with jingle bells they wear. Even the gifts wrapped at Jingle jingle — each one is embellished with a jingle bell instead of the Turkoyz trademark turquoise-colored Christmas ball.

Shanda Townsend of Jackson said she’s happy to hear about a new store at Highland Village.

“It’s close to where I live and a convenient place to shop,” she said. “Christmas is almost here, and I’ve already started buying presents.”

The idea for a Christmas shop grew up from increased customer demand for holiday décor at Turkoyz at Home, said Alan Weeks. The Jingle lease runs through Jan. 31.

“Last year when we sold over 5,000 Christmas pieces (at Turkoyz at Home), we knew there was an opportunity to take this to the next level as the natural progression of the Turkoyz brand,” he said.

The Weeks established Turkoyz fashion jewelry store 10 years ago in Highland Village in Jackson. They later opened Turkoyz at Home, also in Highland Village, after recognizing a line of pottery Turkoyz stocked could be the base of a home décor store.

The Weeks expanded those retail concepts and now have eight stores in Oxford, Memphis and Hattiesburg and in Louisiana in Covington. The stores employ 55 people, mostly part-time employees.

Depending upon this season’s success, Jingle could be replicated in other markets, Alan Weeks said, noting that holiday shopping season adds significantly to their sales.

Across the Turkoyz brand, the Weeks have stayed true to their guiding philosophy.

“We try to do a great look at a great price,” Alan Weeks said. “That’s what all of our stores are about.”

Alan Weeks said he strives for the customer to “turn over the price tag and be pleasantly surprised instead of sticker shocked.”

Also coming to the center for the holidays will be a pop-up store that the Mississippi Children’s Museum is opening and a Salvation Army Angel Tree, said Masa Liles, general manager at Highland Village.

New this year: Photos with Santa Claus will take place inside Jingle, starting Nov. 18. There is a fee for photos.

Jingle is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday. Two weeks before Christmas, the hours will be extended from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Nell Luter Floyd, Retail

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