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Fashion / Shopping

Thomas Markle Moves Into New Luxe Digs In The Woodlands — Get a Look at a European Jewelry Wonderland

This Store Got Built In Switzerland and Shipped Across an Ocean

BY // 12.15.24

After 15 years in The Woodlands’ Market Street shopping and restaurant land, Thomas Markle Jewelers has moved less than 50 feet across the street to dazzling new European-style luxe digs. With new store measuring in at 7,000 square feet, Thomas Markle doubled its store space and created experiential shopping opportunities.

“We needed something more unique,” Thomas Markle chief operating officer Sarah Markle Harrington tells PaperCity The Woodlands. “My brother and my dad traveled all over Europe and New York to see what would be the best thing to bring here with luxury. I believe people are going towards experiential shopping instead of just buying our product.

“We really wanted to bring something to The Woodlands that was more of an experience where we have the bar and we have private rooms. Rolex has a living room area, and we have a repair service lounge.”

But this level of luxury takes time. The new Thomas Markle store is three years in the making. The design phase took a year, going through 13 iterations before landing on the current store layout. The designer’s goal was to “encourages visitors to relax, explore, and connect,” according to Sarah Markle.

The new store in The Woodlands boast several distinct areas. A Rolex area, a bridal boutique area, jewelry areas and watch areas beckon with individual shopping space for each brand. Add a Baccarat area and a service area (complete with a window to watch the goings on inside the repair shop). There’s even space for gift wrap in The Woodlands’ new Thomas Markle store. And in a first, an Instagram wall.

“Right when you walk in, it’s meant to be like you’re sitting underneath two big oak trees, and you’re looking up into the stars between the oak trees,” Sarah Markle says of that eye-catching wall.

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A European Vision

This store has already travelled across an ocean.

“The whole store was built in Switzerland, and then it was put on crates and shipped here and put back up,” Sarah Markle reveals. “Their whole team was 12 guys from Europe.”

The store was shipped in 13 units of 40 foot high cubes, in containers weighing more than 92,000 pounds in total.

Lucerne’s Studio Tonic, in partnership with Obrist Interiors AG, which specializes in jewelry stores, created the space. Weekly Zoom calls kept everyone on the same page through the design and build, along with detailed, walkable renderings of the space.

“You don’t have many options when you’re building with Rolex,” Markle says. “They give you maybe three different companies that you can work with. And we’re very lucky that they were able to do both (the jewelry side and the Rolex side) because they could work in tandem.”

Thomas Markle Jewelers Market Street
With a weekend bartender on site, Thomas Markle Jewelers ups the shopping fun in The Woodlands.

One of the new store’s standouts is a custom made, bespoke chandelier designed by French artist Andreea Braescu. It features handmade bone china porcelain, with each piece taking up to three months to complete. The tree-inspired chandelier hanging from the ceiling adds depth and dimension, conjuring up images of sunlight streaming through trees.

Inside The Woodlands’ New Thomas Markle Store

The larger space allows Thomas Markle to carry more inventory and add new brands to its offerings.

“We’re now carrying Baccarat, which is very exciting to carry,” Sarah Markle notes. “And then IWC is brand new to us. We have Pomellato, which is handmade in Italy. And then we have Jamie Turner, which we’re really excited about. Every single piece is handmade in Austin, Texas.”

Thomas Markle Jewelers Market Street
The Baccarat line of crystal is new for Thomas Markle Jewelers since its move to a larger storefront in Market Street.

Shopping for brides-to-be is now a much more elevated experience too.

“We didn’t have a bridal boutique salon before,” Sarah Markle says. “We just had a couple cases, and so we’re hoping that this elevates the bridal department. We have experts in the bridal fields. All of our sales associates are expertly trained. We have a GIA gemologist on staff, and we do a lot of custom so engagement rings. We love being part of the romance story.”

For bridal guests, the meadow-inspired bridal area evokes a sense of wonder and romance, built around the goal of creating a place customers can imagine themselves getting married. The wall coverings in the bridal area are custom-designed by Philip Jeffries with four unique versions created.

Thomas Markle Jewelers Market Street
The Rolex living room at Thomas Markle Jewelers’ new Market Street store is an elevated shopping land.

Two private VIP rooms add to the luxe feel of this new Thomas Markle store. One can be found on the Rolex side, one on the jewelry side. Each is full of unique features — including custom created carpeting and furniture — to elevate the shopping experience.

For this Woodlands store’s regular customers, it’s a whole new world. Thomas Markle customers often go back generations

“Some clients are on their 10th anniversary,” Sarah Markle says. “They have three kids, and they bought their engagement ring with us. They come back every year. Or they’re second generation. You know, parents who bought their engagement rings from us, and now their kids are buying from us here.”

The new Thomas Markle Jewelers can be found at 9595 Market Street, Suite 1170. It is open Mondays through Wednesdays from 10 am to 7 pm, Thursdays from 9 am to 7 pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 7 pm.

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