The retail industry has produced its highest online sales growth for almost two years – but experts have warned that the increase has been led by heavy discounting. Internet sales growth reached 19% year-on-year in July, according to the IMRG Capgemini eRetail Sales Index. It represents a 20-month high for the Index and continues a…
Retailers feel the pinch as prices tumble further
New research shows shop prices in the UK have tumbled for a second consecutive month, boosting the spending power of consumers but squeezing margins for retailers. Overall shop prices reported deflation of 2.0% in June, deepening from the 1.8% decline in May. Non-food deflation fell to 2.8% in June from 2.7% in May. Helen Dickinson…
Coloured gemstone prices soar in Bonhams sale
Auctioneers Bonhams is celebrating the success of its first fine jewellery sale of 2015, highlighting the importance of emeralds, rubies and sapphires and pieces by Chanel. The sale, which took place on April 22, demonstrated a huge appetite for coloured stones, with fierce bidding taking place in the salesroom, on the telephone and online from…
Silver hallmarking suffers 17.8% dip in November
Gold hallmarking rose by 4% but other precious metals take hits. UK hallmarking suffered a 7.8% decline overall in November 2014, with the number of silver items hallmarking falling by 17.8%. In the data complied from all four of the UK Assay Offices by the Birmingham Assay Office, 9ct and 22ct gold were the biggest…
Palladium price at 13-year high amid supply fears
South African strikes push precious metal to highest price since 2001. The price of palladium has jumped to its highest levels since 2001, with a single troy ounce costing $872.90 (£509.88) as of July 8. Once thought of as a lower-cost alternative to platinum, palladium has risen in price for the 13th consecutive year. This…
Shop prices fall 2.8% in second year of deflation
Non-food sector prices fell for the 14th consecutive month in May. Prices on the British high street fell for the 14th consecutive month in May registering a 2.8% deflation in the non-food sector compared to 2.7% in April, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen’s Shop Price Index. Overall prices registered a 1.4%…
Experts predict silver shortage in near future
Silver Investing News suggests demand could soon exceed supply. Silver market watchers believe the metal’s dual role as an investment and industrial asset will cause demand to exceed supply in the near future, according to a report by Charlotte McLeod for Silver Investing News. Andrew Chaning, co-founder of silver exploration and mining company, PureFund, admitted…
Nomination reacts to customer feedback with range
Brand reacts to feedback from UK retailers with steel and enamel line. Nomination is showcasing it SilverShine collection at IJL, a range of jewellery designed in reaction to retailer feedback in the UK. The range offers entry-level prices points for the composable Nomination bracelets, with individual elements costing upwards of £18 for a steel design.…
Metal prices changeable following Japan quake
Palladium up following 18 percent slump, while gold falls 0.1 percent. The gold price is schdeuled to gain for a second day as unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, and Japan’s nuclear crisis boost demand for a protection of wealth. Platinum and palladium have touched three-month lows, reports Bloomberg. Immediate-delivery gold bullion in fact…
