Luxury Means a Personal Approach: B.D. Jeffries
B.D. Jeffries is not like other luxury goods stores.
You won’t find mass-produced gifts or the same home furnishings that big box retailers carry. What you will find are singular, timeless pieces that have been personally curated by husband and wife co-owners Brad and Debbie Weitz.
The effect of walking into the Buckhead storefront is immediate. Although the inventory is diverse, the unified color palette and seamless blend of current and antique furniture clearly stem from a single vision.
“I have to love it in order to buy it,” says Debbie, who handles most of the procurement side of the business. “And if I love it, I know it. It’s really that simple.”
While Brad mostly manages the store’s business operations, it’s Debbie’s intuitive buying process that gives the catalog of offerings at B.D. Jeffries its distinctive character. She sources products from locations around the world. A handcrafted wedding basket from Zambia sits on a 19th-century French table. An abstract painting by a local artist hangs over a case of leather goods from South America. But the result is more than just a collection of individual items.
“We consider ourselves a lifestyle store,” Brad explains. “Nobody has the product mix we have. We have a lot of one-of-a-kind pieces, artwork, and an array of collected curated pieces. But a key part is that everything works together. It all fits into the lifestyle of our customers.”
Brad and Debbie founded B.D. Jeffries in 1992 after a series of showings in their home where they staged alligator- and crocodile accessories sourced from a contact of theirs named Jeffrey in South America. Strong sales propelled the business upwards through a succession of storefronts in the Buckhead area to their current location on Roswell Road – as well as a second location in Charlotte.
During that time, the Weitzs’ needs as small business owners have evolved significantly. Storefront expansions, development of an online retail presence, advances in financial technology, and taking on extra staff meant their relationship with their bank had been a crucial piece of both daily operations and the business’s long-term growth. With the help of Atlantic Capital’s Private Banker, Lora Fishman, they were thrilled to have someone who was and is as committed to their business as they are:
“It’s always been important to us to have a personal relationship with our banker, and by far, Lora has met our needs and filled that role perfectly,” says Brad. “Anything the bank introduces, that would help our business, Lora makes us aware of it and puts it in place. We’re not necessarily a large customer, but Lora takes care of us as if we were.”
Lora is passionate about helping small businesses find success: “What I noticed about Brad and Debbie is, they are extremely hands on. They live and breathe the store. With small business owners, you realize they’re doing everything – hiring decisions, buying decisions, all the banking. I enjoy making things a little bit easier.”
Having done everything from setting the business up with remote deposit capture, to advising on the hire of an in-store financial manager, to helping Brad get reimbursed for a stolen check, Lora has made a difference in the way the Weitzs’ run their business. She allows them to spend more time focusing on what they love – the store itself.
And the store’s special quality is easy to see. Everything points towards an understated luxury that is the hallmark of the brand. Whatever you might purchase from B.D. Jeffries, you can be confident that it will be both memorable and unique.
The commitment to building strong customer relationships has proven to be the backbone of the business. “We try to be extremely customer-centric,” Brad maintains. “A lot of the customers we have, we’ve had since we opened.” The Weitzs’ often get to know their customers on a personal basis, developing lasting relationship founded on trust and attention to detail.
Brad and Debbie’s commitment to their customers makes B.D. Jeffries a natural fit with Atlantic Capital. We pride ourselves on combining quality financial services with accessibility and an individualized focus on our clients. If you’re interested in finding out more about either B.D. Jeffries or Atlantic Capital, we’re happy to talk. Give us a call today, and find out how Atlantic Capital can help take your small business to the next level.