Economy
The economy has a direct influence on the UK jewellery trade, affecting consumer spending, material costs, and business confidence across the sector. For jewellers, manufacturers, and suppliers, staying informed on economic trends is vital to planning and resilience. Jewellery Focus provides expert coverage of economic developments impacting the trade, including inflation, interest rates, consumer confidence, and supply chain challenges. Our reporting helps jewellery professionals understand the wider market forces shaping their business environment.
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Dec- 2019 -17 DecemberBusiness Bites
‘Jingle bots’ are artificially ramming online shopping baskets to use up stock
I have my reservations about this story because we spend a lot of time in our office poring over the news for interesting stories and takes, and we haven’t seen it reported like this before. But it comes from a company called Radware, which is a publicly traded web app…
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13 DecemberBusiness Bites
The election is over – time for the Tories to deliver for small businesses
It now looks as though political stasis and all the damage that does to business will be lifted in 2020. Boris Johnson’s victory in the election is the Tories’ strongest since the Thatcher era, and gives him great scope to implement bold policies. At this juncture it’s worth taking a…
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Nov- 2019 -1 NovemberEconomy
Treasury Committee urges MPs to reform ‘broken’ business rates
The government has been urged to fix the “broken” business rates system as it is continuing to affect high street retailers, a Treasury committee has said. An influential group of MPs has asked the government to examine alternatives to property tax, which puts more pressure on high street retailers than…
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Oct- 2019 -15 OctoberEconomy
BRC ‘disappointed’ with business rates relief in Queen’s speech
The British Retail Consortium has responded to the Queen’s speech, praising its approach to crime and sustainability but was “surprised and disappointed” at its approach to business rates. Commenting on the speech, which tackled issues such as immigration, crime, business rates and brexit, The BRC said: “The Government should implement…
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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 -14 AugustRetailers
Over 50 retailers sign letter demanding business rates fix
Over fifty major retailers have come together to demand the government takes action to fix the “broken” business rates system. In a letter to the new chancellor, Sajid Javid, retailers have called on the government to put business rates “at the heart” of the promised new economic package. The letter,…
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Jul- 2019 -5 JulyCrime
FSB calls for next PM to tackle £17bn business ‘crime crisis’
Small businesses are incurring costs of almost £17bn every year due to criminal activity, according to new research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Reacting to the statistics, FSB national chairman Mike Cherry, has called for the next prime minister to increase police numbers to help tackle the problem.…
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Jun- 2019 -28 JuneRetailers
UK consumer confidence slips in June
Market research company GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index has showed that confidence among consumers in the UK has decreased by three points to -13 in June. The measure for the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months decreased month to -32 during the month, four points…
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13 JuneAnalysis
The potential of the US and Canada for jewellery retailers and brands
There are glittering prizes in reach for UK jewellery brands and retailers that tap into the growing demand from younger shoppers worldwide to purchase luxury jewellery online. The opportunities are coming into clear focus as consumers, particularly those belonging to Gen Z (those born after 1995), become increasingly receptive to…
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May- 2019 -24 MayRetailers
Retail investment intentions lowest in survey history, says CBI
Retail Investment intentions for the year ahead have weakened to the lowest balance in survey history, at -65%, according to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey. It’s a sharp drop from February 2019 (-33%), and comes as retail sales in the year to May fell at the fastest pace since…
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