Covid-19
Covid-19 brought unprecedented challenges to the UK jewellery trade, reshaping retail, supply chains, and consumer behaviour. For jewellers, manufacturers, and suppliers, understanding the pandemic’s lasting impact is essential to building resilience and adapting strategies. Jewellery Focus offers in-depth coverage of Covid-19’s effects on the industry, including market analysis, recovery efforts, e-commerce growth, and insights into how businesses are navigating a post-pandemic landscape.
-
Jun- 2020 -15 JuneCoronavirus
39% of UK SMEs believe economy will need five years to recover from Covid-19
Four in 10 (39%) small business owners believe it will take at least five years for the UK economy to fully recover from the impact of lockdown and Covid-19, according to a new poll. Research by the “#ForgottenLtd Campaign”, which is campaigning for fair and equal government support for small…
Read More » -
15 JuneCoronavirus
Usdaw urges public to ‘respect shopworkers’ as shops are allowed to reopen
Shopworkers union Usdaw has urged customers to respect staff and employers to ensure safety in stores, as shops are allowed to reopen from today (15 June). The news comes as Usdaw released statistics revealing one in six shop workers have suffered abuse on every shift, during the coronavirus pandemic. The statistics revealed 62%…
Read More » -
12 JuneCoronavirus
Watches of Switzerland preps for reopening
Watches of Switzerland has announced that it will reopen its stores across England on 15 June. All Watches of Switzerland, Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths stores in the country will reopen, while its showrooms in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and UK airports are expected to open at a later date.…
Read More » -
12 JuneCurrent Affairs
UK GDP slumps over 20% in April as full impact of Covid-19 is felt
GDP slumped by 20.4% in April 2020, following a fall of 5.8% in March, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is the biggest monthly fall since the ONS’ series began in 1997, with the measure also falling by 10.4% in the three months…
Read More » -
12 JuneFeatures
Tectonic shifts: Covid-19 will accelerate changes in the jewellery industry
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the world and businesses are searching for future trends and strategies in a post-COVID-19 world. For platinum jewellery, the drivers of business growth in 2019 have been thrown into even bolder relief by the pandemic, and point the way to a post-Covid 19 recovery. Digital…
Read More » -
11 JuneRetailers
Majority of SMEs believe UK is headed for deep recession post-pandemic
Almost seven in 10 (69%) small business owners believe the UK is heading for a deep recession following the coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdown, according to new research from FreeAgent. In addition, almost three quarters (73%) believe many small businesses will struggle to make enough money to survive and two…
Read More » -
10 JuneCoronavirus
70% of shoppers ‘not comfortable’ returning to shops
Consumers remain “deeply cautious” about returning to shops, the latest EY Future Consumer Index has revealed ahead of retailers opening next week (15 June). According to the survey of 1,017 consumers, 80% said they would be “uncomfortable” trying on clothes in a store, while only 25% are “currently comfortable” visiting…
Read More » -
10 JuneCoronavirus
UK GDP expected to decline 7.2% in 2020 amid ongoing pandemic
The continuing impact of the Covid-19 virus is expected to see the UK economy contract by 7.2% in 2020, with the economy unlikely to be able to fully restart until a vaccine or effective treatments for the virus are available. This is according to KPMG UK’s latest quarterly Economic Outlook, which considered…
Read More » -
10 JuneCoronavirus
Signet to close 80 UK stores permanently
Signet Jewelers has announced that it will not reopen 80 of its UK stores, in an effort to emerge “stronger and more efficient” following the Covid-19 crisis. As part of its decision to accelerate its ‘Path to Brilliance’ programme Signet, which has 3,200 stores worldwide, has revealed initially 150 of…
Read More » -
9 JuneEvents
Reed Exhibitions cancels IJL 2020
The organiser for International Jewellery London (IJL), Reed Exhibitions, has announced that the September event has been cancelled. The trade show was initially scheduled to take place at Alexandra Palace, London, between 13 September and 15 September 2020, but will no longer go ahead due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.…
Read More »
