Inflation
Inflation has significant implications for the UK jewellery trade, affecting everything from raw material costs to consumer spending habits. For jewellers, suppliers, and manufacturers, understanding how inflation influences pricing, margins, and operational decisions is critical to staying resilient in a shifting economic climate. Jewellery Focus provides expert coverage on inflation trends, market analysis, and insights into strategies trade professionals are adopting to mitigate its impact across the supply chain and retail sector.
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Nov- 2017 -8 NovemberEconomy
Spending growth slows to 2.4% as consumers feel โinflation squeezeโ
Consumer spending growth slowed to 2.4% year-on-year in October which, with inflation at 3%, equated to a contraction in real terms. Brits cut back across the board to cope with their diminished spending power, and in anticipation of a potential interest rate hike. Data from Barclaycard revealed that spending on…
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Oct- 2017 -25 OctoberEditor's Blog
Fighting back against the algorithms
Now that the show season has cooled down, we head into the final quarter of the year, and begin gearing up for the Christmas sales period. The retail landscape remains challenging, but the UK economy continues to hold up in reasonable condition, and there are some significant reasons to be…
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19 OctoberEconomy
UK retail sales growth slows more than expected
UK retail sales growth slowed more than predicted in the month of September, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The figures showed that total sales fell by 0.8% when compared with August, making it much lower than the 0.1% drop that was expected. Year-on-year retail growth for Q3…
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Aug- 2017 -3 AugustEconomy
Demand in gold jewellery grows in Q2
The demand for gold jewellery pieces has grown in Q2 of 2017, despite a decline in global gold demand. Jewellery demand increased by 8% from 447 tonnes (t) in 2016 to 481t this year, but fell short of the long-term average. India was the main contributor to the gain in…
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2 AugustAppointments
EDITOR’S COMMENT: What now for the CMJ?
Much ink has been spilled by the trade press over the sudden and barely explicated departure of Willie Hamilton, the polarising chief executive of the Company of Master Jewellers. Apart from those at the top, it would seem nobody knew he was about to vacate his post, and those in…
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Jul- 2017 -28 JulyEconomy
Summer sunshine boosts retail sales
Retail sales growth picked up in the year to July, exceeding expectations for minimal growth, according to the latest monthly CBI Distributive Trades Survey. The survey of 111 firms, of which 57 were retailers, showed that the volume of sales grew at a healthy pace โ driven by grocery and…
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Jun- 2017 -30 JuneEconomy
Significant rise in business confidence
Overall business confidence has risen significantly since the start of the year, according to Lloyds Bank. The latest Business in Britain report from Lloyds Bank, based on data gathered after the snap election was called, showed that the confidence level had increased by 24%. The confidence index โ an average…
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7 JuneEconomy
Businesses unable to cope with interest increases, research shows
One in 25 businesses would be unable to pay off its debts if the interest rates were to increase, research from insolvency trade body R3 has shown. Some 79,000 (4%) UK companies said that a small increase would affect them financially, almost a quadrupling (20,000) of figures from previous research…
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Apr- 2017 -21 AprilRetailers
UK retail sales drop as inflation rises
UK retail sales dropped by 1.8% in March marking the largest year on year decline since 2010 and exceeding economistsโ predictions of a 0.5% decline. Coinciding with the rise of inflation, the volume of goods sold in store and online fell 1.4% in the first quarter of the year. The…
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18 AprilEconomy
London leads European retail market for third consecutive year
Central London remains the retail market leader in Europe according to a report from global real estate advisors, Colliers International. The report said its ongoing success is due to greater numbers of Britons and tourists spending more in the capital than any other market. The figures showed that London had…
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