CMJ Spring Show opens, UK jewellers confident about outlook
BIRMINGHAM, England, March 17, 2013 – The Company of Master Jewellers’ (CMJ) Spring Show opened on March 17, with a resounding vote of confidence on the outlook for business by the group’s independent retail members.
In a survey of all the members in the run-up to the two-day event, 90.9 percent said they were “quite confident” about the outlook for business in 2013 and 9.1 percent said they were “very confident”.
65.9 percent of the membership said they plan to definitely place orders at the show, while 31.8 percent will consider it depending on what they see.
And 59.1 percent are more likely to consider placing orders for new watch brands having seen the special watch feature in the latest edition of the CMJ’s magazine FACETS, published in March.
New suppliers all showing at the CMJ for the first time include watch brands Dreyfuss & Co, Storm, Maurice Lacroix, Fendi and Ball & Co.
Frederique Constant, Guess watches and Jewellery, Gc Watches, Rotary and Accurist returned to the event after several years of not showing.
Accurist’s CEO, Jonathan Crocker, told Jewellery Outlook that he was focused on raising the profile of the British heritage watch brand in the UK this year, as many people remain unaware of its rich history. Family-owned Accurist started out in Clerkenwell, London, in 1946.
Other new CMJ suppliers and guest designers exhibiting at the event in Birmingham included Mi Moneda, White Pine recycled diamonds, Shards of London, SoShine, Allumer, Laura Gravestock, Arabel Lebrusan, Lily & Lotty, Lucy Q, SuShilla and OCD.
Mi Moneda is a new Irish brand, offering coins with inspirational inscriptions and Swarovski Elements designs to wear in interchangeable pendants or rings. Designed to change, you can create a new look every day.
Shards of London is an emerging British jewellery brand, offering exquisitely designed pieces, passionately crafted with a level of refinement traditionally only found in fine jewellery, said Noreen Mirza, Founder and Creative Director.
Each piece is masterfully made using modern technology and completed by hand.
The CMJ is the UK and Ireland’s biggest co-operative group of independent retail jewellers, with a total membership of over 140 businesses representing over 250 shops.
Membership is made up of a varied mix of jewellery retailers, from quality, established family jewellers to some of the most dynamic and forward-thinking contemporary jewellers in the industry.
The CMJ Spring Show at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole was packed with exhibitors and had a waiting list, said Willie Hamilton, the group’s CEO.
He told Jewellery Outlook that he had been impressed by jewellers’ optimism over the business outlook, and spoke of the strong growth in the presence of watch brands among CMJ suppliers.
Diamonfire launches bridal collections
Diamonfire, an alternative to traditional diamond jewellery, launched its new bridal collections at the CMJ Spring Show.
The bridal collections, which include a range of sparkling rings, tiaras and jewellery sets, can be displayed on a new white POS design, which is also being shown for the first time at the CMJ show.
The Diamonfire zirconia stone has been developed as the most exclusive of all synthetic stones and just like diamonds, it is measured in carats.
Brown & Newirth offer industry first Sales Rewards scheme
Brown & Newirth London is launching an industry-leading reward scheme, which is being trialled with CMJ retail customers for three months from March 2013 and will be rolled out to all Brown & Newirth’s retail customers from June.
‘Brown & Newirth Rewards’ will reward individual sales staff with a points based scheme for sales of Brown & Newirth rings.
Points earned can be redeemed against luxury and consumer goods or experiences such as spa and Ferrari track days.
Brown & Newirth is the only jewellery company in the UK to offer this sales reward scheme.
