Lincoln-based John Greed Jewellery has had to make over 20 people redundant following the end of its partnership with Pandora.
The independent jeweller retailer’s contract with Pandora was terminated at the start of the year, with namesake owner, John Greed, fearing this might lead to redundancies.
He told local paper The Lincolnite, at the time that the company was committed to “saving jobs wherever possible”, but the new vision for the business might require a “much smaller focused workforce”. Now it’s been revealed some 22 people have been let go.
Owner John Greed tells The Lincolnite: “It was a big decision for us to stop selling Pandora online, but we feel it was right for us and our future.
“In the end we sadly had to make 22 people redundant, which for a family business is a really tough and emotional thing to do, especially when some of these employees have been with us from the start, but we needed to adapt in order to survive.”
Following a 15-year partnership, which propelled the independent jeweller’s business, John Greed sold its last item of Pandora Jewellery at the end of March.
John Greed Jewellery is still in negotiations with the jewellery giant regarding them leasing the high street building, which the franchise store is currently located in.
The store owner shares: “We are still in negotiations with Pandora in regards them leasing our high street building, which would allow them to continue with the current Pandora store after our franchise ends. We are also in negotiations with other parties as regards the use of our building, so we will have to see what happens.”
John Greed says the company will now focus on its own brand, which has been significantly invested in over the last 18 months, alongside the likes of Nomination, Thomas Sabo, and Swarovski.
The jeweller believes developing a unique brand and identity is vital for survival in today’s tougher market, and is committed to seeing John Greed Jewellery have a long-term future.
“In a way, Pandora overshadowed anything else in the business, so we are really keen and looking forward to seeing what we can do by giving these brands and others our full focus,” concludes Greed.
