Online shoppers set to spend £676m on ‘Manic Monday’

Online shoppers are set to outstrip ‘Cyber Monday’ today (December 8) with 151 million visits to online retail sites and a total spend of £676.5m.  This is according to new figures produced by global information services company, Experian, in conjunction with IMRG, which has tipped online Christmas shopping to set…

Read More »

£100k jewellery thieves ‘could be at large in Hampshire’

Detectives investigating the alleged armed robbery of a jewellery store in Sheffield have issued CCTV images of two men they would like to speak to in connection with the incident, and they believe they could be staying in Andover or elsewhere in Hampshire. Police were called at around 11am on…

Read More »

Dreweatts’ £1.2m fine jewellery auction

Dreweatts achieved stellar results in a day of luxury sales at their London saleroom on 27 November, with prices totalling over £1 million. Fierce international bidding saw iconic jewels by the master jewellers and high jewellery ateliers of the 20th Century including Bulgari, Graff and Jean Schlumberger, steal the show and…

Read More »

Allum & Sidaway picks up Retail Experience win at Dorset Awards

Independent jeweller Allum & Sidaway has been awarded the Retail Experience award at the 2014 Dorset Business Awards.  The independent jeweller was the finalist in two different categories; the Princecroft Willis Family Business Award and the Retail Experience award, and won the Retail Experience award for its “success and entrepreneurial…

Read More »

Polished diamond suppliers reduce prices in November

Polished diamond prices fell in November as suppliers lowered prices in an effort to improve cash flow, according to Rapaport’s Rapnet Diamond Index (RAPI).  The price for 1-carat laboratory-graded diamonds declined by 1.7% in November, while 0.3-carat diamonds fell 2.2% and 0.5-carat diamonds dropped 1.6%. Three-carat diamonds decreased by 1.8%…

Read More »

Business rates set to undergo structural review

Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has said in his Autumn Statement that business rates will undergo a full “structural review” alongside the extension of the 2% cap on business rate increases for next year.  Further help on business rates announced in the speech included the extension of small business…

Read More »

Osborne to reveal business rates review in Autumn Statement

According to reports from BBC News the Chancellor, George Osborne, is expected to reveal an overhaul of business rates to help high street retailers compete with internet retailers in his autumn statement.  The 400 year-old taxation system has long been under criticism from businesses and it has often been blamed…

Read More »

John Lewis banks Black Friday fashion sales

Black Friday helped to deliver the biggest ever week of sales for department store John Lewis with fashion posting its biggest ever sales for a single day’s trade.  The store delivered sales of £179.1m, up 21.8% on 2013 and up 56.8% week-on-week to deliver the biggest ever week for sales…

Read More »

Congo arms funding: jewellers urged to join the fight

Non-profit organisation The Enough Project has urged jewellery retailers to “develop transparent policies about their gold sourcing practices” to prevent funds going to armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  The group has called for jewellers to commit to sourcing from only certified conflict-free gold refiners and to invest…

Read More »

H&T Pawnbrokers opens discount secondhand jewellery shop in Southampton

Discount secondhand jewellery retail store, Est1897, created by parent company H&T Pawnbrokers, has expanded into Marlands Shopping Centre in Southampton.  H&T Pawnbrokers redeveloped 36 of its stores across the UK between June and September, changing their focus from traditional pawnbroking to secondhand discount jewellery. The decision to develop the concept…

Read More »