Be interested in how Valentine’s Day shapes up … My sense is it will be “not that bad.” (Which is not the same as really good.) Still plenty of jewelry ads on TV. We shall see ..
And here’s the news …
Retail sales up .5% in January. We’ll take it!
– But jewelry sales down.
Gassman: “Lessons from Christmas.”
– Did Saks start luxury price-cutting?
– Retail sector’s biggest job loss ever.
– Consumer credit may make difference. (Video)
Fortunoff’s assets to be auctioned.
– May close flagship store.
– NRDC “buyer’s remourse”?
– Remembering Fortunoff “glory years.”
Shane lost $29 million in ’08.
Online jewelry sales down in ‘08.
De Beers retail names US CEO.
Family wants Mervyn’s name.
Zale sued over “Love Rocks” campaign.
Fine Diamonds consignment lawsuit.
– Olympic Diamonds founder recovers real estate funds.
– Bank must compensate for “false representation.”
De Beers’ predicts price rebound … at end of 2010. And until then, what?
Indian bank “to rescue industry.”
– Reserve Bank convenes industry task force.
– Slowdown “blessing in disguise”?
DTC Botswana shut down (temporarily.)
– Job losses mount.
– China to the rescue?
– Massive find at Jwaneng.
– Chaim on Botswana’s “opportunities.”
Wall Street Journal says “no sparkle for jewelers on Valentine’s Day.” Isn’t that a little premature? Actually, it’s probably true. Still …
– Southern Illinois jewelers hopeful.
– Maryland jeweler: Things “picking up.”
– New Mexico, not so much.
– South Jersey shoppers want cheap rings.
– Consumers price-shop in Hartford.
Jewelers Closing:
Guzzi’s in Stratord, CT.
Jewelers Opening:
Levinson’s in Ft. Lauderdale opens new store.
Now spotlighting “cheap” jewelry: Borsheims.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “”Last year, this was the high-end room. Now, it’s the markdown room.”– Jewelry store owner to Time magazine.
Harry Winston called “promising stock.”
– “Nine Valentine’s Day stocks.”
– Blue Nile preview.
MD of Namdeb interviewed.
Angola’s new diamond strategy.
Zimbabwe official in “blood diamond” scandal?
Survival protests Graff.
Charles and Covard shifts marketing.
Collectors Universe jewelry revenue down.
SimplexDiam acquires inventory.
Grammy’s still “sparkle,” despite recession.
– JCK Style360 take.
De Beers ad parodied on Demetri Martin show.
JC Penny launches “Doghouse Prevention Week.”
Buy a diamond, get a gun.
Angelina Jolie misplaces diamond earrings, two adopted children.
It had to happen … Blackberry jewelry.
Media Watch:
– UK Mirror on the Sierra Leone diamond fields.
– The Daily Mail on avoiding blood diamonds.
– Mining Mx on conflict diamonds
– Forbes on jewelry sales, has a long quote from GemEx.
– Tampa Tribune on everyone’s favorite gold jewelry buyer. Also this.
– Ohio newspaper on “estate jewelry sales.”
– Toronto newspaper: Consumers avoiding diamonds.
– Detroit Free Press article on divorce jewelry.
– Forbes on “diamonds that rock.”
– NPR profiles long-time “diamond district” seller.
– The Liverpool Daily Post on “diamond geezers.”
– The Miami Herald on the industry’s woes, with some guy babbling on about “survival mode.”
Blog Posts:
De Beers: Wooing Back Its Exes?
Have a great Valentine’s Day (both business-wise and any other way) and great (three-day, in the US) weekend …
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