Budget
Budget jewellery occupies an important place in the UK market, catering to cost-conscious consumers without compromising on style or demand for trend-led pieces. For retailers, wholesalers, and designers, this segment presents unique opportunities and challenges—from managing slim margins to sourcing affordable materials and meeting high-volume demands.
Jewellery Focus delivers in-depth coverage of the budget jewellery sector, featuring news on supplier innovations, pricing strategies, consumer buying trends, and regulatory considerations affecting production and imports. Our editorial also explores how brands and independents can balance value with quality to remain competitive in this fast-moving market.
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Apr- 2016 -6 AprilEconomy
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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Mar- 2016 -16 MarchEconomy
BUDGET: CBI welcomes business rates policy
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called George Osborne’s Budget, announced today, a “strong and stable Budget for business facing global stormy waters”. CBI director general, Carolyn Fairbairn, said: “The Chancellor has listened to our concerns about the mounting burden on firms and chosen to back business to grow the economy out…
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16 MarchEconomy
BUDGET: Business rates relief “doubled permanently”
Business rates relief for small businesses will “more than double” during the next budget period. The Chancellor, George Osborne, announced that he was raising the threshold to £15,000 for the lower rate (up from £6,000) and to £51,000 got the higher band (up from £18,000). He said the measures would mean…
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14 MarchEconomy
Retail footfall declines in February
Retail footfall has declined by 1.1% in February compared with the same period last year, according to the British Retail Consortium. UK Summary Footfall in February was 1.1% down on a year ago, lower than the 1.2% rise seen in January and lower than the three-month average rate of -0.8%.…
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9 MarchCurrent Affairs
SNP vote threatens extension to Sunday trading hours
A proposed bill to extend Sunday trading hours is under threat after the Scottish National Party (SNP) said it will vote against the plans. Under the government plans, Sunday trading hours for high street shops would be devolved to local authorities. Local councils would be given the power to extend…
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8 MarchEconomy
Retail sales slow in February
Retail sales slowed to a near standstill in February, as like-for-like sales grew by just 0.1% compared with the same month last year. That’s according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG Retail Sales Monitor which found on a total basis sales were up 1.1%, against a 1.7% rise…
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Feb- 2016 -1 FebruaryEconomy
Retail growth steady but expected to slow next month
Retail sales were steady over the year to January beating retailers’ expectations of a slight slowdown, according new data from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The organisation’s latest monthly Distributive Trends Survey of 126 companies found that 41% of retailers said that sales volumes were up in January on…
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Dec- 2015 -7 DecemberAdvice
ADVICE: Christmas tips
There will be a lot of requests for annual leave over the Christmas period and if you cannot close the business, you will need to apply a fair and consistent approach to authorising and rejecting annual leave requests. Consider what you did last year, particularly in terms of holiday requests. If it…
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Nov- 2015 -25 NovemberCurrent Affairs
BRC welcomes extension of business rates review
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed the extension of the business rates review announced in Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement today. A major overhaul of the business rates system was announced earlier this year, with uniform rates set to be abolished. Local councils will, by 2020, be able to…
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10 NovemberRetailers
‘Lethal combination’ for UK retailers, says Tesco boss
The chief executive of Tesco, Dave Lewis, has warned that the UK retail sector is facing a “lethal cocktail” of rising costs. Speaking at the CBI’s annual conference, Lewis said rising business rates and the National Living Wage (introduced by George Osborne earlier this year) mean retailers will face an…
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