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Feb- 2021 -24 FebruaryCoronavirus
Scotland to reopen non-essential retail from 26 April
First minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that non-essential retailers in Scotland will be able to reopen from 26 April. Sturgeon outlined the country’s exit out of lockdown restrictions yesterday (23 February), giving businesses a timeframe of when they can expect to reopen. Scotland’s stay-at-home order is likely to remain in…
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23 FebruaryCoronavirus
Footfall rises for fifth consecutive week
Footfall across UK retail destinations rose by 6.8% last week against the week before, marking the fifth consecutive week of uplift ahead of the PM’s highly anticipated ‘roadmap’ announcement yesterday. According to the latest data from Springboard, this was only a fifth less than the rise of 8.5% in the…
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23 FebruaryDesigners
Swarovski unveils new brand identity
Swarovski has unveiled a new brand identity that reportedly centres around a “bold vision that celebrates crystal in all its forms”. The rebrand has been launched under the helm of creative director, Giovanna Engelbert, and sees the Swarovski Swan reimagined through the “filter of the Wonderlab”, Engelbert’s “imaginary crystal world”. …
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23 FebruaryDesigners
Chaumet launches new Haute Horlogerie watch
Maison Chaumet has announced the launch of its new Haute Horlogerie watch Infiniment 12 – Rêverie Nocturne. The new timepiece celebrates the one year anniversary of 12 Vendôme, the brand’s historic hôtel particulier. Since 1812 on Place Vendôme, the famous address has been an “emblematic focal point of refinement à…
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22 FebruaryCoronavirus
PM outlines ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown
Prime minister Boris Johnson has set out his four-step “roadmap” to guide the nation out of lockdown “cautiously but irreversibly”, calling the plan a “one-way road to freedom”. Step one will begin from 8 March, when all schools will be allowed to open with outdoor after-school sports and activities allowed.…
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22 FebruaryDesigners
Matilde Jewellery launches new ring for charity
Matilde Jewellery has announced the launch of its new Deusa ring, which will see 10% of proceeds go to the charity Plan International, in association with International Women’s Day. Designed exclusively for International Women’s Day 2021, the “beautiful and symbolic” recycled 14k gold and lab-grown diamond ring is “here to…
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22 FebruaryTrade Organisations
Speakers announced for Valuers’ Conference at NAJ Summit
The Institute of Registered Valuers has confirmed the first speakers for the 2021 Valuers’ Conference, taking place from 11 to 13 September at the NAJ Summit. Jack Ogden, Sandra Cronan and Nicholas Wainwright will feature in the Valuers’ Conference programme, alongside Craig O’Donnell, David Callaghan and Richard Winterton, who were…
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19 FebruaryTrade Organisations
Birmingham Assay Office launches search for new guardians
The Birmingham Assay Office has announced it has begun its search for “seasoned individuals” to become the organisation’s new guardians. Controlled by a group of 36 elected guardians of the Standard of Wrought Plate in the city of Birmingham, the Assay Office was founded by an Act of Parliament in…
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19 FebruaryCoronavirus
Retail sales tumble 8.2% in January despite online boom
Retail sales tumbled by 8.2% in January despite rising online sales, as stores were hit by heightened restrictions amid the third national lockdown. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the value of sales was also 7.8% lower than the previous month, while the overall decline was largely driven…
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18 FebruaryRetailers
‘Diana Effect’ influencing engagement ring choices, report finds
The ‘Diana Effect’ is influencing consumers’ jewellery choices 40 years on, with the diamond and sapphire combination for engagement rings named the “first choice” for couples in the UK, according to new research from money.co.uk. It found that 82% of couples who opt for a combination-stone ring will choose the…
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