News
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Oct- 2014 -14 October
Drakes Jewellers win Plymouth’s Business of the Year Award
Drakes Jewellers in Plymouth has been awarded the Business of the Year Award at Plymouth’s City and Waterfront awards 2014. Drakes, which is currently expanding into Plymouth’s Drake Circus Shopping Centre, received the award at the black tie event on October 8. The firm was selected for the award by…
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14 October
Figures analysis: January to September hallmarking jumps 19%
Overall hallmarking figures have shown an increase of almost 19% in the first nine months of 2014, compared with the same period the previous year. So far the biggest year-on-year increases on a by-month basis were January and May, which increased 31% and 27% respectively compared with their corresponding time…
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14 October
Signet CEO Michael Barnes resigns
Signet has announced that Michael Barnes has resigned from his position as CEO and from the board of directors, effective October 31, 2014. He is to be succeeded by current president and COO, Mark Light. Signet said it is also “reaffirming its financial guidance initiated in its second quarter earnings release on August…
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14 October
September retail sales ‘worst since December 2008’, Christmas outlook remains positive
UK retail sales in September were down 2.1% on a like-for-like basis compared with September 2013, when they had increased 0.7% on the preceding year. The new figures from the British Retail Consortium’s BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor found in total, sales were down 0.8%, against a 2.4% rise in September…
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14 October
100 million smartwatches ‘to be in use by 2019’
More than 100 million smartwatches will be in use worldwide by 2019, with a host of premium brand launches over the next 12-18 months bringing the category into mainstream consumer consciousness, according to new research. According to a report by hi-tech market research company Juniper, differentiation between products is now…
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13 October
Astrid & Miyu launches new collection to support Breast Cancer Awareness
Jewellery brand Astrid & Miyu has launched a new collection, the Rose Gold Initial collection, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Some 20% of all sales of necklaces and bracelets from the range will be donated to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Connie Nam, the owner of Astrid & Miyu, told…
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13 October
September hallmarking figures up 18%, 9ct gold continues to shine
Rising hallmarking figures showed no sign of abating in September, as the latest results compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office showed an overall rise of 18.2% across all precious metals, compared with September last year.The standout performer was, as has become the norm this year, gold, with 9ct rising 100,644 items to…
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13 October
GJEPC India deny reported effects of Antwerp Diamond Bank closure
The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) India has asserted that news stories claiming diamantaires are offering discounts of 5% to 20% in the wake of the Antwerp Diamond Bank Closure are “false and baseless”. In a strongly-worded statement, GJEPC said that articles published were “without substantial understanding of…
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10 October
Argenteus closes last high street store
Jewellery retailer Argenteus has closed the doors of its last remaining high street store, located on Cornmarket Street in Oxford. The closure comes 20 years after its very first store was opened in Oxford, since that time Argenteus had opened and closed nine different stores across the country, including a…
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10 October
Retailers missing the mark on customers’ delivery expectations
Online retailers are providing unwanted delivery options and failing to offer wanted ones, according to new research from software company OrderDynamics and Opinion Matters. The report, entitled ‘The mismatch of retailer services and consumer expectations’, surveyed 2,000 consumers and over 60 retailers and found more than half of online shoppers…
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