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.
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Feb- 2021 -1 FebruaryEconomy
BRC chief calls for rates extension as vacancies rise by 13%
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has urged the government to extend business rates relief beyond April as the number of retail stores lying vacant rose to 13.7% in Q4 2020. The plea follows figures published by the consortium which show that all retail locations saw…
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Jan- 2021 -26 JanuaryRetailers
Forum Jewellers to offer free Valentine’s proposal ring
Forum Jewellers has launched a free proposal ring campaign to celebrate this year’s Valentine’s Day. The retailer is offering customers a free proposal ring to commemorate the romantic holiday in order to help develop its relationship with customers during the pandemic. Customers must sign-up on the CMJ member’s website, with…
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22 JanuaryInternational
Alrosa posts strong recovery due to holiday sales
Alrosa has reported a sharp increase in sales in the fourth quarter of 2020 due to strong demand during the holiday season. The company announced that revenue from rough diamonds has increased by 29% year-on-year to $1.14bn (£834bn) as a release of pent-up demand allowed the Russian miner to sell…
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22 JanuaryCoronavirus
Retail sales fall to lowest ever annual level
The retail sector has suffered its largest annual fall since records began, with total sales down 1.9% against the year prior, as restrictions on non-essential retail continued to impact the sector as a whole. This was the biggest decline since records began in 1997, according to the ONS. After declines…
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20 JanuaryEvents
Goldsmiths’ Company hires new head for 2021 fair
The Goldsmiths’ Company has appointed Matthew Burgess to be the new head of its 2021 fair, covering for Harriet Scott who is on maternity leave. Burgess, a digital engagement and arts professional, has previously worked with leading Mayfair galleries, artists and museums in the UK, as well as around the…
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19 JanuaryEvents
Istanbul Jewelry Show postponed until May
Organisers for the annual Istanbul Jewelry Show have announced that the event has now been postponed until 27-30 May 2021. The trade show was originally set to take place between 25-28 March 2021, but has been scheduled in light of ongoing restrictions on international travel. The rescheduled event will take…
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19 JanuaryCurrent Affairs
Sunak looks to raise corporation tax in March budget
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly looking to raise corporation tax in the upcoming March budget to pay off the estimated £400bn borrowed by the UK throughout the pandemic. According to The Financial Times, the alleged move has sparked uproar among business owners who claim they are still struggling with the economic impact of Covid-19. However, it…
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15 JanuaryRetailers
Just Diamonds sees 8% year-on-year rise in turnover
Just Diamonds has announced an 8% year-on-year rise in turnover in the second half of 2020 compared with the same period last year. The company supplies high-quality ring mounts, finished jewellery and mainly bespoke items to customers upon request. The Birmingham-based jewellery supplier said it made the decision to supply…
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12 JanuaryRetailers
Lucapa’s Mothae diamonds sell for £4.1m
Lucapa has announced that a parcel of 4,676 carats rough diamonds from the Mothae kimberlite mine were sold for a total of $5.6 million (£4.1m). The diamond sale marks the largest carat price received from the Mothae mine in its history with the company. The sale included a number of…
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12 JanuaryEvents
NAJ moves June summit to September
The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has decided to further delay its all-encompassing membership event due to the ongoing Covid pandemic. The event has already been postponed from September 2020 until June 2021, with the summit now taking place 11-13 September later this year. The summit includes the Retail Jewellers’…
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