News
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Jan- 2015 -16 January
December footfall rises but still down on 2013
Retail footfall in December showed the best performance since January 2014, but was still down on the same month in 2013, according to the latest BRC/Springboard Footfall Monitor. Total retail footfall in the UK was up 2.4% on the fall in November, but down 0.7% year-for-year and below the three-month…
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14 January
9ct gold jumps by a million items in full year hallmarking figures
The year 2014 marked an overall upward trajectory of the UK’s hallmarking figures, with the number of items marked rising 13.7% overall, to just under 10.4 million items – 1.2 million more than previous year. The standout performer was 9ct gold, which rose a staggering 25.1% to just over 3.6 million items…
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14 January
Carat reports significant growth in sales over Christmas period
Fashion jeweller Carat London has reported strong and sustained sales growth during the Christmas period, for the three months ending December 31. The company reported a 60% sales increase during the period, while the total number of Carat stockists increased by over 40 stores during the final half of 2014,…
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13 January
Hot Diamonds enjoys 101% Christmas sales boost
Hot Diamonds has revealed a huge 101% increase in December 2014 sales compared with the same period the previous year. The Emozioni manufacturer said Christmas sales to its network of independents were also up, by 70% year-on-year. The firm’s head of commerce, Adryan Cresswell, said: “We were quietly confident of a strong…
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13 January
‘Cyberweek’ and clearance sales drive online retail in December
‘Cyberweek’ and clearance sales helped to drive online retail sales in December with non-food products growing 7% compared to the same time last year. This is according to the BRC-KPMG Online Retail Sales Monitor which found that in December online sales represented 17% of total non-food sales, compared to 16%…
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12 January
New ‘sub-office’ in Heathrow for Edinburgh Assay Office
The Edinburgh Assay Office has launched a new, one-stop, secure, in-transit hallmarking and onward delivery service based at its new facility at Heathrow Airport. The Edinburgh Assay Office said that in “the global jewellery market, the challenge of complying with separate regulations in each EU location has made it difficult…
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12 January
INFOGRAPHIC: Colour diamonds, the facts
Diamonds are amongst the most sought after pieces of jewellery in the world, but there is an increasing trend for their colour counterparts, fancy colour diamonds. In the below infographic Excalibur Royale (ex-royale.com), a Canadian diamond retailer, talks us through some of the key facts regarding colour diamonds.
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12 January
‘Promising’ year ahead for shop vacancy rates
Britain’s shop vacancy rate dropped to 13.2% in December while the overall retail and leisure vacancy rate remained at 11.8%, according to the latest figures. Analysis of vacancy rates by occupation type by the Local Data Company showed that leisure vacancy in December was 7.8%, and all (Retail and Leisure)…
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9 January
Signet ‘s UK division sees 9.7% Christmas growth
Signet’s UK division, which owns high street chains H Samuel and Ernest Jones, has seen a 9.7 increase in like-for-like sales for the eight weeks ending December 27 – the group’s best performance for 12 years. In a statement, the Signet said Ernest Jones was the strongest performer with an…
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9 January
Guess Watches announces launch of smartwatch
Guess Watches has announced the official launch of its new wearable tech timepiece, Guess Connect. Guess partnered with Martian Watches, a California-based smartwatch developer, in August last year in an effort to deliver a “multi-function, fashion chic” smartwatch line for men and women. Guess Connect is based on the company’s…
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