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The Centurion 2013 Holiday Sales Success Index, Week Two: Sales Still Up But More Mixed ResultsDecember 11, 2013 (0 comments)
|Merrick, NY—Prestige jewelers’ holiday sales still are strongly in positive territory, but the second week of the season brought more mixed results than the stellar results reported by jewelers in last week’s Centurion Holiday Sales Success Index spot-check survey.
The Centurion Sales Success Index this week covers the period from December 2 through December 8, 2013. While more than half (57.8%) of respondents to the survey reported sales growth over the same period last year—and more than a fourth (26.3%) had increases of more than 10% over last year—42.2% of respondents reported a dip in sales this week compared to the same week in the 2012 season. 10.5% of respondents said sales this week were tracking evenly with the same period last year.
In terms of what’s selling at prestige jewelry stores this year, predictably, diamonds lead the pack. 50% of respondents cited one or multiple categories of diamond as their best selling product. This includes engagement and wedding rings, diamond pendants, earrings, and other diamond fashion, as well as loose diamonds.
The second strongest category was designer and branded jewelry. This includes diamond jewelry brands (Hearts On Fire and Simon G were cited). Among designers cited as strong sellers were Alex Sepkus, John Hardy, Penny Preville, Elizabeth Locke, Alex & Ani, and Marco Bicego.
High-end watches, especially Rolex, were cited by 17% of respondents as a top seller this season. 11% of respondents each cited Pandora and colored stone jewelry as bestsellers this season.
Prestige jewelers' sales results for the second full week of the shopping season were more mixed than last week. The largest group of respondents (red slice, 26.3%) are still reporting sales increases of 10% or more over the same period last year. But a close percentage (21.1%, aqua slice)) reported equally big declines. 10.5% of respondents each reported sales increases of 6% and 10% (purple slice) or more modest gains of 1% to 5% (blue slice). 10.5% of respondents' sales were even with this week last year (orange slice); 15.8% dropped from 1% to 5% (green slice) and, finally, the brown slice represents 5.3% of respondents whose sales declined between 5% and 10% for this week, compared to the same week last year.