Govberg Jewelers Leaving Merion-Cynwyd for Suburban Square

is preparing to depart its Merion-Cynwyd home of two decades for a prime location about three miles away in Suburban Square.

Since 2009, the company had been searching for another Main Line location, owner Danny Govberg told Patch.

"Govberg Jewelers’ Bala Cynwyd location had been in need of a renovation for some time, and rather than invest in modernizing and enhancing the current space, an ideal retail location became available at an opportune time," Govberg said via email. "We anticipate an influx in the number of customers due to the high level of traffic at the Suburban Square shopping center, and recognize a terrific synergy between the center’s existing clientele and Govberg Jewelers’ expansive product offerings."

The company has had a store at Montgomery Avenue and Old Lancaster Road since 1991, after four years in Narberth. The other two Govberg stores are in Center City.

Sometime in early spring, the company plans to close the Bala Cynwyd store on a Friday and open the Suburban Square store—next door to the —the following Monday, Govberg said: "It will be a seamless transition."

In the meantime, the company is discounting Bala Cynwyd merchandise up to 60 percent in February and renovating the Suburban Square space.

"We are in the midst of constructing elegant shop-in-shops for some of our premier brands, including Patek Philippe, as well as building a jewelers’ bench, workshop and special service bar," Govberg said.

Said Lower Merion Commissioner Brian McGuire, whose Ward 13 includes the current store, "It's unfortunate they decided to leave, but a lot of us are very hopeful we can get a new tenant in there. There are some things the economic development department is working on there. The bottom line is, we need to have businesses that are thriving in that area."

The Bala Cynwyd store's 3,000-square-foot sales floor—roughly the same size as that of the new store—is available for rent, Govberg said.

About 15 to 20 employees work in Bala Cynwyd, including accounting, sales, watchmakers and jewelers.

The company is "in the midst of determining the (new) store's staffing needs," Govberg said. "Our current sales team will accompany us in the move, and the accounting department will maintain its offices above the current Bala Cynwyd retail space."