Pandemic
The pandemic has had a lasting impact on the UK jewellery trade, reshaping consumer habits, supply chains, and retail strategies. For jewellers, manufacturers, and suppliers, understanding these changes is essential to adapting and building resilience. Jewellery Focus provides in-depth coverage of the pandemic’s effects on the industry, including market analysis, business recovery strategies, e-commerce growth, and insights into shifting demand patterns. Our reporting helps trade professionals navigate the ongoing challenges and opportunities in a post-pandemic landscape.
-
Sep- 2021 -10 SeptemberEconomy
UK economic growth slows, ONS reveals
UK economic growth slowed down in July, growing by 0.1% compared with 1% in June 2021, according to the latest data by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). With the spread of the Delta variant and the “pingdemic” taking its hold in July, gross domestic product (GDP) still remains 2.1%…
Read More » -
8 SeptemberRetailers
De Beers Group seventh cycle diamond sales reach £374m
De Beers Group has announced a provisional value of its rough diamond sale of $515m (£374m) for the period 23 August to 7 September for the seventh sales cycle of 2021. Due to the existing Covid-19 restrictions, the group has continued to implement a more “flexible approach” to rough diamond…
Read More » -
Aug- 2021 -20 AugustDesigners
Brown & Newirth secures £650k loan package
Brown and Newirth has secured a £650k loan from Virgin Money in a bid to support further growth, accelerating plans to increase its brand footprint with further boutique installations. The jeweller is said to be in a “strong position” for future growth after the launch of a UK industry first…
Read More » -
20 AugustEconomy
Retail sales growth slows in July
Retail sales volumes fell by 2.5% between June and July 2021, as rainy weather and last month’s ‘pingdemic’ dampened demand from consumers. Nonetheless, sales were still up by 5.2% in the three months to July against the previous three months, and 5.8% higher than their pre-pandemic February 2020 levels, according…
Read More » -
17 AugustEconomy
Unemployment falls to 4.7% as job vacancies hit record high
UK unemployment fell to 4.7% for the quarter to 30 June 2021, a drop of 0.2% when compared to the previous three month period. According to the ONS, this was coupled by a 0.3% rise in the UK employment rate to 75.1% in the same period, closing the gap with…
Read More » -
11 AugustRetailers
Online retail sales decline eases in July, IMRG finds
The IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index released today has found that after recording the steepest drops in history for two months in a row, the fall in online retail sales appears to be slowing, which could reportedly signal a return to stability in the near future. The report, which tracks…
Read More » -
4 AugustTrade Organisations
Birmingham Assay Office to launch LGD screening service
The Birmingham Assay Office has announced that it will now screen laboratory-grown diamonds (LGDs) as a part of its jewellery valuation service. SafeGuard Valuations will automatically screen all diamond-set items to determine whether they are natural or potential lab grown. It comes in a bid from the organisation to support…
Read More » -
3 AugustFeatures
LGDs are the future, despite the backlash
“They are as much a symbol of innovation and progress as they are of enduring beauty and stand as a testament to our ongoing and ambitious sustainability agenda,” said Alexander Lacik, CEO at Pandora, upon releasing the group’s first lab-grown diamond (LGD) collection. However, the global jewellery retailer went beyond…
Read More » -
2 AugustRetailers
Fope H1 revenues soar 44% to £12.5m
Italian fine jewellery group Fope has reported a 44% year-on-year revenue growth to €14.6m (£12.5m) in H1 FY21. The figure represents a return to group revenues that are “essentially in line” with the company’s pre-pandemic H1 FY19 results. Moreover, Fope revealed that EBITDA for the period reached €2.4m (£2.05m), a…
Read More » -
Jul- 2021 -28 JulyRetailers
De Beers Group sixth cycle diamond sales reach £367m
De Beers Group has announced a provisional value of its rough diamond sale of $510m (£367m) for the period 12 July to 27 July For the sixth sales cycle of 2021. Owing to the restrictions on the movement of people and products in various jurisdictions around the globe, the group…
Read More »
