Signet Says It’s Uninterested in Gerald Ratner’s Bid for U.K. Stores

By Rob Bates | December 16, 2025

Signet Jewelers seems to feel that former owner Gerald Ratner’s bid for its U.K. division is, as he once said, “total crap” (though the company would never use those words).

The retail giant has reiterated that its U.K. brands are not for sale, despite two articles in the British press over the past week touting Ratner’s “audacious bid” for them.

Ratner, who lost control of Signet’s U.K. division in the early ’90s after joking that its products were “crap,” told the Times of London that he will ask Signet’s shareholders to support his effort to buy Signet’s two British chains—H. Samuel and Ernest Jones.

“We have all the money lined up so we’re not going to mess them about,” Ratner said. “We are trying to put pressure on shareholders, because it’s in their best interests to dump the U.K.. It’s a bit of a long, drawn-out negotiation that hasn’t reached fruition yet.”

He said Signet has neglected the British brands, according to the Times.

“It’s a typical situation of Americans running a U.K. division that they’re not interested in,” said Ratner. “They are trying to indoctrinate a U.S. formula in the U.K., and that never works. They’ve so underperformed in the U.K., it’s absolutely diabolical.…

“It’s difficult to see precisely what their figures are, but you can just see their shops are completely empty. Every day, one is closing. So we thought we’d catch it before they close them all. H. Samuel is still a very good brand, and so is Ernest Jones.”

Signet said there is no change from its statement issued earlier this year when Ratner first expressed interest in buying back the U.K. division.

“While it is not our policy to comment on rumors or speculation, we are not engaged in discussions related to a sale of our U.K. brands,” it said in a statement sent today to JCK.

In 1991, Ratner famously disparaged his family business’ offerings during a speech, leading to his quick departure. Ratners Group was subsequently renamed Signet, while Ratners Jewellers became H. Samuel.

Ratner didn’t return a request for comment.

(Photo courtesy of Signet Jewelers)