Consumer Spending
Consumer spending trends are a key indicator for the UK jewellery trade, shaping demand across luxury, mid-market, and fashion segments. For jewellers, designers, and suppliers, understanding shifts in disposable income, purchasing behaviour, and economic confidence is critical to planning collections, pricing strategies, and marketing campaigns. Jewellery Focus provides expert coverage on consumer spending patterns, market analysis, and economic insights to help trade professionals navigate changing customer priorities and maximise commercial opportunities.
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Jul- 2020 -9 JulyRetailers
Bira ‘disappointed’ mini-budget does ‘not help indie retailers’
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has expressed its “disappointment” that Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s mini-budget does not “directly help retail business owners”. Sunak announced a raft of further measures to support the recovery of the economy following the coronavirus lockdown, in Parliament yesterday (8 July). Features of the budget included…
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Jun- 2020 -30 JuneCoronavirus
Reopening is ‘no magic bullet’ for retail, says BRC
Reopening is “no magic bullet” for retail, the British Retail Consortium has warned despite UK footfall improving since lockdown restrictions were lifted earlier this month. The BRC’s footfall tracker found that UK footfall decreased 53.4% year-on-year during the second week of reopening in England and NI. This is compared to…
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23 JuneFeatures
Coronavirus: The jewellery industry’s story
At the time of writing, the UK’s embattled high street has been given a glimmer of hope, after prime minister Boris Johnson announced plans on 25 May to allow non-essential retailers to open by mid-June. The announcement will be welcome news for many jewellers who have struggled over the past…
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22 JuneEconomy
Chancellor mulls VAT cut and could follow up with autumn tax rises
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering cutting VAT in order to help stimulate the economy but could follow the move up with a set of Autumn tax rises. According to the Financial Times, Sunak is planning deferred tax rises and cuts to public spending in his autumn Budget as a follow up to further stimulus…
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9 JuneCoronavirus
Consumer spending drops 26.7% year-on-year in May
Consumer spending contracted 26.7% year-on-year in May. This is according to new data from Barclaycard, which revealed that spending on essential items grew slightly by 0.9%. This was bolstered by a 24.5% rise in supermarket spend – which increased to 27% in the week preceding the VE Day weekend as…
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May- 2020 -14 MayNews
Online retail sales soar to 10-year high amid Covid-19 crisis
Online sales growth surged to a 10-year high in April, up 23.8% year-on-year, amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. That’s according to the latest IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index, which tracks the online sales performance of over 200 retailers. According to the report, the spike in sales was “overwhelmingly” driven by…
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Apr- 2020 -28 AprilCoronavirus
UK economy not expected to recover until 2023, study suggests
The UK’s economy is not expected to return to normal until 2023 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report issued by economic forecasting group EY Item Club. The group has warned that it is likely to take three years for the UK economy to return to the…
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Nov- 2019 -5 NovemberRetailers
Pandora sales slip in third quarter
Jewellery brand Pandora has reported a 10% drop in like-for-like sales in its third-quarter results. Overall earnings over the quarter, before interest and tax, fell by 25%. Meanwhile, the company’s organic growth for the year is expected to land between -7% and -9%, despite previous forecasts of a growth between…
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Sep- 2019 -30 SeptemberFeatures
The SDGs are our path to sustainable growth
We live in a world of changes so profound and rapid that no one can stand alone. The 2030 Agenda – the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) play an important leadership role for the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) in driving progress on the implementation of the goals, building positive impact…
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Aug- 2019 -8 AugustEconomy
July consumer spending hits record low
UK consumer spending in the month of July fell to a record low despite the good weather, according to the latest statistics from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG. On a total basis, sales increased by 0.3% in July, against an increase of 1.6% the previous year, it is…
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