Steven Singer has become well-known in Philadelphia over the decades for his eponymous shop on Jewelers Row, writes Emily Goulet for Philadelphia Magazine.
Singer opened his first shop in October 1980. At the time, Singer became the youngest first-generation jeweler in Jewelers Row, the oldest jewelry district in the country.
What started out as a sliver of a store with just six jewelry cases, Steven Singer Jewelers has since expanded to about a half-block.
Many may recognize its infamous tagline: “I HATE STEVEN SINGER,” often plastered on billboards.
While those ads have been synonymous with the city since 2002, getting them there wasn’t easy.
“I had the idea for three years — the ad for the billboard, the script for the radio spot — and no one would run it. They said it would ruin my business and I’d go bankrupt,” Singer said.
To do it, he had to prepay and sign contracts that would remove liability claims should any company run his ads and cause the company to go under.
Over these four-plus decades, Singer has seen the number of jewelry shops in the area grow from 351 in its heyday to only about 110 now.
Singer has never been afraid to evolve, and anticipates continuing to do so.
Read more about Steven Singer and his entrepreneurial journey at Philadelphia Magazine.
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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on PHILADELPHIA Today in February 2025.
