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.
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Mar- 2020 -30 MarchCoronavirus
Beaverbrooks closes website and warehouse operations
Beaverbrooks has closed its website and warehouse operations until further notice. Anna Blackburn, managing director at Beaverbrooks, said the company made the “difficult decision” to close its website and warehouse operations to “protect” its colleagues, their families and the wider community. She added: “As a family owned business, the safety…
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26 MarchCoronavirus
Covid-19: Banks under fire over emergency loan scheme
Banks have come under fire over government-backed emergency loans which require business owners to sign for a personal guarantee, as the UK battles with the Covid-19 pandemic. The British Business Bank (BBB) opened applications for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) on Monday (23 March), and claimed the loan…
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23 MarchCoronavirus
PM bans ‘non-essential retail’, instructs public to stay at home
The UK public are only allowed to venture out of their homes for essential supplies and one exercise outing per day, or face fines, under new measures introduced this evening by the prime minister. In a recorded address filmed in No 10 Downing Street, Boris Johnson said the police will…
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23 MarchRetailers
H.Samuel announces temporary store closures amid Covid-19 virus outbreak
High street jewellery store H. Samuel has announced the temporary closure of all its stores amid the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 virus. The retailer announced all store closures will take effect from today (Monday 23 March) but its website will be “open as usual.” In a statement, the retailer…
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23 MarchRetailers
Covid-19: Beaverbrooks to shutter all 69 stores
UK jeweller Beaverbrooks has revealed plans to shutter all 69 of its stores by 5pm today (23 March) amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Managing director Anna Blackburn said this decision will “greatly affect” its hundreds of store colleagues, and added that supporting them is its “number one focus right now”. She…
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20 MarchCurrent Affairs
Covid-19: Government to pay 80% of salary to staff unable to work
Chancellor Sunak Rishi has said the government will pay 80% of wages for employees who aren’t able to work due to the coronavirus, up to £2,500 a month according to the BBC. The “unprecedented measure” comes as the government has unveiled more plans to protect jobs and businesses amid the…
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19 MarchRetailers
Pandora closes stores across globe
Pandora has announced the temporary closure of many of its stores in order to “support the efforts” to limit the spread of Covid-19. In its latest statement, the group confirmed that it had temporarily closed all owned and operated stores in the United States, Italy, Germany, France and Spain. In…
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18 MarchCurrent Affairs
Pandora withdraws financial guidance
Jewellery group Pandora has announced the withdrawal of its financial guidance as it is “no longer meaningful” in light of the coronavirus escalation. The group said that such mitigating actions came under “extraordinary and rapidly developing” circumstances, and that its financial guidance announced on 4 February excluded “any impact” from…
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17 MarchEconomy
NAJ asks for ‘urgent action’ amid Covid-19 crisis
The UK jewellery industry has urged the government to take “urgent action” as the coronavirus crisis unfolds. The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has today sent an open letter to PM Boris Johnson calling for “further clarity and support” on key issues that may affect the industry amid the outbreak. …
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11 MarchBusiness Bites
ROUNDUP: Business rates holiday announced by chancellor Sunak
In his maiden budget, the new chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced a £30bn fiscal stimulus package to help combat the impact of coronavirus on the British economy including a one-year total suspension of business rates for small retail, leisure and hospitality businesses. Headline measures include: A £12bn plan to provide…
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