Events & AwardsNov 02, 2021
Ben Bridge/Pandora Employee Wins Associate AwardMajorsJan 12, 2022
Ben Bridge Is Selling Its Pandora Franchise Stores Back to the Brand
Plus, a look at how Pandora fared in 2021.
Ben Bridge will return ownership of its 37 Pandora stores to Pandora to focus on its core business. (Image courtesy of Ben Bridge Jeweler's website)
Seattle—Ben Bridge Jeweler is returning ownership of its 37 Pandora stores to the Danish jewelry company, effectively cutting its store count in half as it looks to concentrate on its core business.
The stores will be returned to Pandora in early March, according to a press release about the change of ownership.
“The cornerstone of our business is building customers for life, and that is why we first fell in love with Pandora,” said Ben Bridge CEO Lisa Bridge.
“This has been an important and successful chapter in our history, and we know our team will be in excellent hands as a part of the broader Pandora organization. This pivot will give us greater focus and enable us to innovate and grow in new ways.”
The two companies first teamed up in the spring of 2010.
Today, Ben Bridge’s Pandora store network spans five states as well as British Columbia, Canada. The 110-year-old jeweler is Pandora’s largest franchisee in North America.
Ben Bridge said the sale of its franchise stores back to Pandora will give it time to create even more growth opportunities after marking 2021 as its “most successful” year yet.
It is the second time in recent months Ben Bridge has cut back its store count. Watches of Switzerland acquired Ben Bridge’s Mall of America store outside of Minneapolis-St. Paul, one of five stores the retailer scooped up in late 2021.
Ben Bridge will continue to stock Pandora jewelry in its own stores and on its website.
Pandora has bought back a number of franchise stores in the United States in recent years, including 18 stores across New England run by Laws Management in 2017 and 14 stores previously owned by Hannoush Jewelers in 2014.
Globally, the number of Pandora franchise stores has fallen 18 percent between fiscal 2020 and 2016, while the number of Pandora-owned stores has more than doubled, up 131 percent, in that same period.
In 2016, Pandora operated 2,138 concept stores, including 598 owned by Pandora and 976 owned by franchisees, and had 564 third-party distributors.
By Q4 of fiscal 2020, Pandora operated 2,690 concept stores, including 1,382 owned by Pandora and 797 owned by franchisees, and had 511 third-party distributors.
Related stories will be right here …
The stores will be returned to Pandora in early March, according to a press release about the change of ownership.
“The cornerstone of our business is building customers for life, and that is why we first fell in love with Pandora,” said Ben Bridge CEO Lisa Bridge.
“This has been an important and successful chapter in our history, and we know our team will be in excellent hands as a part of the broader Pandora organization. This pivot will give us greater focus and enable us to innovate and grow in new ways.”
The two companies first teamed up in the spring of 2010.
Today, Ben Bridge’s Pandora store network spans five states as well as British Columbia, Canada. The 110-year-old jeweler is Pandora’s largest franchisee in North America.
Ben Bridge said the sale of its franchise stores back to Pandora will give it time to create even more growth opportunities after marking 2021 as its “most successful” year yet.
It is the second time in recent months Ben Bridge has cut back its store count. Watches of Switzerland acquired Ben Bridge’s Mall of America store outside of Minneapolis-St. Paul, one of five stores the retailer scooped up in late 2021.
Ben Bridge will continue to stock Pandora jewelry in its own stores and on its website.
Pandora has bought back a number of franchise stores in the United States in recent years, including 18 stores across New England run by Laws Management in 2017 and 14 stores previously owned by Hannoush Jewelers in 2014.
Globally, the number of Pandora franchise stores has fallen 18 percent between fiscal 2020 and 2016, while the number of Pandora-owned stores has more than doubled, up 131 percent, in that same period.
In 2016, Pandora operated 2,138 concept stores, including 598 owned by Pandora and 976 owned by franchisees, and had 564 third-party distributors.
By Q4 of fiscal 2020, Pandora operated 2,690 concept stores, including 1,382 owned by Pandora and 797 owned by franchisees, and had 511 third-party distributors.
Prior to Ben Bridge’s announcement, Pandora reported its preliminary annual results, which exceed its fiscal guidance with fourth-quarter and full-year revenue hitting record levels.
Fourth-quarter revenue was up 14 percent year-over-year to 9 billion Danish kroner ($1.37 billion) compared with 7.89 billion kroner ($921.6 million) in the fourth quarter last year, and up 13 percent when compared with Q4 2019.
Full-year revenue was up 23 percent year-over-year to 23.4 billion Danish kroner ($3.57 billion) compared with 19.01 billion Danish kroner ($2.2 billion) in the previous year, and up 7 percent compared with 2019.
In the U.S., quarterly revenue was up 26 percent while full-year revenue was up 55 percent.
Prior to the release of its interim results, a memo from Pandora had predicted that “the unusual strong growth” in the U.S. may “ease off” in the fourth quarter, adding there was uncertainty around overall U.S. market development in 2022.
“Pandora is confident that whatever direction the overall U.S. market will go in 2022, we believe we have enough ammunition in the plans to perform better than the overall U.S. market, like we have done in 2021,” said the company.
Overall organic growth reached 23 percent, exceeding its guidance of 18 to 20 percent, while the EBIT margin was 25 percent, surpassing its 24 to 24.5 percent guidance.
A low single digit percentage of physical stores were temporarily closed during the fourth quarter due to COVID-19, said Pandora, noting that stores in several of its markets were hurt, particularly in China.
“The recent escalation of COVID-19 continues to drive some uncertainty with regards to financial performance in 2022,” said the company.
Pandora will release its official full-year results on Feb. 9.
More on Majors
The Latest
Events & AwardsJun 06, 2025
Here Are the 2025 Retailer Hall of Fame InducteesThis year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
CollectionsJun 06, 2025
Piece of the Week: Harwell Godfrey’s ‘Granny Squares Eleanor’ Necklace As an homage to iconic crochet blankets, the necklace features the nostalgic motif through a kaleidoscope of cabochon-cut stones.
Events & AwardsJun 05, 2025
The 12 Fresh Faces in Couture’s Design AtelierDiscover the dozen up-and-coming brands exhibiting in the Design Atelier for the first time.
Brought to you by
The True Power Behind the Counter: Why Sales Associates Are the Heart of the Jewelry BusinessWhen investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.
SourcingJun 05, 2025
A Rare Suite of Rubies Has Arrived in Las VegasThe “Royal Ruby” Collection is a quintet of untreated rubies curated by collector Jack Abraham.
Weekly QuizJun 05, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsJun 05, 2025
Daymond John to Give Keynote at JCK Las VegasThe entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.
Events & AwardsJun 05, 2025
Zillion Announces 'Women in STEM' Scholarship RecipientMeredith Tiderington, an electrical engineering student, was selected for the award.
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.
Lab-GrownJun 04, 2025
GIA Reverting to More General Terminology for Lab-Grown DiamondsIt will quit assigning the stones specific color and clarity grades in favor of applying “new descriptive terminology.”
Events & AwardsJun 04, 2025
As JCK Talks Returns, Don’t Miss These 12 SessionsFrom design trends to sustainability, here’s a roundup of can’t-miss education sessions at JCK Las Vegas.
CrimeJun 04, 2025
10 Safety Tips for the Las Vegas Shows The Jewelers’ Security Alliance offers advice for those attending the annual trade shows.
CollectionsJun 03, 2025
In Her Latest Collection, Viviana Langhoff Is Leaning Into GoldThe designer is embracing bold pieces with weight to them in “AU79,” a collection she celebrated with a creative launch party.
FinancialsJun 03, 2025
Signet Jewelers Sees Turnaround in Q1 With Sales Ticking Up 2%On an earnings call, CEO J.K. Symancyk discussed what’s working for the company and how it’s preparing for the potential impact of tariffs.
SurveysJun 03, 2025
Consumer Confidence Improves in May The index partially rebounded after months of decline, due in part to the U.S.-China deal to temporarily reduce import tariffs.
CollectionsJun 03, 2025
Dakota Johnson Is Roberto Coin’s New Brand AmbassadorThe actress stars in the latest campaign set in Venice, Italy, and is set to participate in other creative initiatives for the jeweler.
GradingJun 03, 2025
Mason-Kay Jade Adds ‘Fei Cui’ to Jade ReportsThe company has joined other labs, including GIA and Lotus Gemology, in adopting the Chinese term for "jadeite jade."
SourcingJun 02, 2025
Gemfields’ June Auction to Include 36-Carat RubyThe large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.
GradingJun 02, 2025
GSI Opens New Lab in Thailand Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.
TrendsJun 02, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Three Gems for June Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.
SourcingJun 02, 2025
David Allouche Joins Grandview Klein DiamondsThe diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.
FinancialsMay 30, 2025
Movado’s Q1 Sales Slip Amid ‘Challenging’ Retail Environment The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Tariffs & Designers: Navigating Pricing in an Unstable EnvironmentBetween tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.
CollectionsMay 30, 2025
Piece of the Week: Renato Cipullo’s ‘Hematite Blaze’ NecklaceDesigned by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Trade Court Declares Trump’s Tariffs InvalidHowever, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.
CollectionsMay 29, 2025
Britney Spears Files Trademark for New Jewelry LineThe pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.
Supplier BulletinMay 29, 2025
Inoveo Platinum Grain, Exclusively Distributed by StullerSponsored by Stuller
SourcingMay 29, 2025
Grizzly Auctions 6,620-Carat EmeraldIt was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.
