Disposable Income

Consumer confidence improves during December

Consumer confidence improved two points during December to -22 as sentiment improved ahead of Christmas. All five measures were up in comparison to last month’s announcement. The index measuring changes in personal finances during the last year is up two points at -14; this is 14 points better than December…

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Jessica Flinn on changes, challenges and trends in the jewellery industry

Can you tell me about yourself and the history of Jessica Flinn? I started Jessica Flinn Designers Limited straight out of university in 2010, so it has been 13 years now, which is absolutely bonkers. I initially started out making stainless steel and silver jewellery, and I would sell it…

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Goldsmiths Company Charity pledges £200k to help jewellers

The Goldsmiths Company Charity has awarded £197,380 in donations and grants to support jewellers and those working in the allied trades during the cost of living crisis. The charity has issued multiple cost-of-living grants to charities and apprentices within the trade to support them using the remainder of the funds…

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Consumer confidence improves for first time in 15 months

UK consumer confidence in the final quarter of 2022 improved by half (+0.6) a percentage point, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker, marking the end of a 15-month period of consecutive decline. Deloitte said overall confidence was boosted by “significant” quarter-on-quarter improvement in sentiment towards levels of debt (+3.8…

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Retail sales up 1.9% in January 2022

Retail sales volumes rose by 1.9% in January 2022 following a fall of 4.0% in December 2021, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. It also revealed sales volumes were 3.6% above their pre-coronavirus (Covid-19) February 2020 levels. Non-food stores sales rose by 3.4% as home…

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Retail sales rise for second month in a row

Total sales increased by 3.2% in July, against an increase of 0.5% in July 2019, marking the second consecutive month of growth since the start of the pandemic. According to the latest BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor, UK retail sales increased by 4.3% in the month against the year prior, following…

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How Amazon can help the jewellery industry to shine

With Covid-19 shutting down the high street, many jewellery businesses have turned to online retail to survive. Even as shops begin to open their doors, social distancing measures mean that footfall is unlikely to be on the level it was pre-pandemic. But since two thirds of consumers begin their online…

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Voice on the High Street: Clive Ranger

Tell us about Clive Ranger Jewellery. Clive Ranger is a small family owned business that started up in 1977, but was taken over last year by our former manager, Carl Parry. We pride ourselves on old fashioned customer service and continue to manufacture our own diamond rings so our jewellery…

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Company Q&A: Tresor Paris

Give us some general background about Tresor Paris Anyone who wants to own a truly unique and spectacular piece of jewellery will have heard of Tresor Paris, the luxury jewellery experts who specialise in fine diamond jewellery. Defined by luxury and elegance, the award-winning jeweller offers a vast collection of…

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Demi-fine jewellery – The best of both worlds?

“Lots of people want to invest in something that is going to last a lifetime but not break the bank, and that is where we fall in,” says Christie Wollenberg, co-founder of demi-fine jewellery brand Otiumberg. Fine jewellery, costume jewellery and fashion jewellery are all widely accepted categories of the…

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