Economy
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May- 2016 -3 May
Polished diamond prices dip in April
Polished diamond trading slowed in April due to sluggish demand at the start of a seasonally-quiet period, according to the Rapaport Group. The group’s RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) found the price of 1ct, GIA-graded diamonds, slipped 0.3% in April, while the price of 0.3ct and 0.5ct diamonds fell by 1.3%…
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Apr- 2016 -28 April
Retail employment figures show sharpest decline since 2014
The number of full-time retail jobs in the first quarter of 2016 was down 0.9% compared with the same period last year, according to new data released today. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Bond Dickinson’s latest Retail Employment Monitor found that the job decline in the retail sector was…
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25 April
Consumer confidence dips in Q1 2016
Consumer confidence fell in the first three months of 2016, according to the latest Consumer Tracker from business advisory firm Deloitte. The quarterly survey of 3,000 UK consumers revealed a renewed caution in the consumer section, with confidence falling by 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of the year- from…
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18 April
9-carat rockets 16.4% in upbeat March hallmarking figures
The total number of hallmarked items grew 5.4% in March, boosted by an 8.2% jump in the number of gold articles. That’s according to the latest data from the four UK assay offices – compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office – which found there was a total of 740,976 articles…
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18 April
Early Easter and bad weather deters shoppers away from high street
An early Easter and bad weather conditions deterred shoppers from the high street in March, as footfall fell 2.7% compared with the same month last year. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor found the decline in March was lower than the 1.1% fall in February.…
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12 April
De Beers reports stable rough diamond demand
The De Beers Group has reported stable rough diamond demand, following its third sales cycle of 2016. The company reported rough diamond sales of $660m (£465m) compared with the $617m (£434m) realised in its second sales cycle earlier this year. The company said continued stability in polished diamond prices and…
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12 April
UK retail sales fall flat in March due to early Easter
Retail sales in the UK neither grew or declined in March as an early Easter distorted sales figures during the month. That’s according to the latest Retail Sales Monitor from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG, which found like-for-like sales declined 0.7% compared with the same month last year…
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11 April
Gold price reports best performance in ‘three decades’
The price of gold reported its best performance in almost three decades, according to a new report from the World Gold Council (WGC). During the first quarter of 2016, gold price rose by 17% in US dollars, 20% in British pounds, 11% in Euros and 9% in Japanese Yen. It…
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6 April
Non-food shop prices continue to fall in March
Non-food prices in the UK continued to fall in march, as overall shop prices reported deflation of 1.7% during the month from the 2% decline in February. The latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen Shop Price Index, found that non-food deflation rose to 2.6% in March from the 3%…
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5 April
Polished diamond prices remain stable in March
Prices of polished diamonds remained stable in March, according to the latest RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) from the Rapaport Group. The company said prices were supported by steady dealer trading even though the outlook for consumer demand remains uncertain. It added, in the first quarter, sentiment improved as polished prices…
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