Richemont’s Jewelry Sales Up Double Digits in Q3
Buccellati, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels posted strong sales in the luxury titan’s third quarter.

The luxury conglomerate, which owns high-end brands like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, posted sales growth in all regions except Asia Pacific as COVID restrictions hampered the mainland China market.
For the third quarter ending Dec. 31, Richemont posted sales of €5.4 billion ($5.9 billion), a 5 percent year-over-year increase at actual exchange rates.
The quarter was up against a tough comparable, with last year’s Q3 sales up 32 percent.
Growth was led by retail and its online channels, said Richemont, with sales up 6 percent year-over-year in each category.
Online sales now account for 7 percent of group sales while direct-to-consumer sales make up 76 percent of total sales. Wholesale sales were up 1 percent, hurt by the impact of trading in the Asia Pacific region.
Third quarter jewelry sales were up 11 percent year-over-year to €3.7 billion ($4 billion), bolstered by strong sales at Buccellati, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels.
As with overall sales, all regions posted growth except Asia Pacific.
Watch sales were down 3 percent to €952 million ($1 billion), as sales in Asia Pacific, which account for nearly half of sales in the category, declined double digits. The steep drop offset double-digit increases in Europe and Japan.
Richemont’s watch portfolio includes A. Lange & Söhne, IWC Schaffhausen, Officine Panerai, and Vacheron Constantin.
By region, Japan posted the strongest year-over-year growth, up 30 percent, followed by the Middle East and Africa, up 20 percent, then Europe, with sales up 17 percent.
Sales growth in the Americas came in last place with 16 percent growth, which the company attributed to more purchases being made abroad due to the strong U.S. dollar.
Sales to U.S. customers were solid, said Richemont, up by high-single digits.
In the Asia Pacific region, sales were down 7 percent, with mainland China posting double-digit declines.
“The massive increase of COVID cases negatively impacted customer traffic and, due to staff unavailability, led to a reduction of boutique opening hours or temporary closures of points of sale in mainland China, leading to a sales drop of 24 percent during the period under review,” said Richemont.
Looking at Richemont’s nine-month performance, overall sales were up 18 percent at actual exchange rates, building off a strong comparable of 55 percent growth in the previous year’s period.
The company did not provide guidance for the remainder of its fiscal year.
The Latest

The pieces in “Animali Tarallo” portray animals from stingrays to elephants through portraits and interpretations of their patterns.

Parent company Saks Global said the iconic location will be open through the holiday season as it decides what to do with the space.

Ronald Winston, son of Harry Winston, donated the diamonds to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Bench jewelers spend years honing their skills, Jewelers of America’s Certification validates their talents.

The virtual event will take place April 7 at 3 p.m.


The educational event will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, this May.

The independent jeweler first opened its doors in 1888.

Natural diamonds mean more than lab-grown, but when every cut is ideal, they all look the same. Customers want more—Facets of Fire delivers.

The layoffs come amid the TV shopping channel’s efforts to restructure and focus on live shopping through social media.

The debut event will take place in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood this fall.

The roundtable will take place May 17 ahead of the trade show’s welcome dinner.

The “Peanuts x Monica Rich Kosann” collection features the comic strip’s classic vocabulary across 10 bracelet designs.

Three industry experts dive into the complexities of the material often marketed as an “ethical” alternative for metal in jewelry.

Diamonds are not only one of the most prominent gemstones, but the birthstone for those born in April.

The Utah-based company known for making wedding bands has acquired Doubloon Golf.

The longtime luxury executive led one of LVMH’s watch brands, TAG Heuer, for 12 years before taking over Bulgari in 2013.

Authorities said the robbers fled with jewelry and 70 Rolex watches, later taking pictures of themselves posing with big stacks of cash.

Lotus Gemology founder Richard W. Hughes has translated Heinrich Fischer’s 1880 book “Nephrit und Jadeit” from its original German.

The ring's design features contrasting lines influenced by work from architecture-inspired photographer Nikola Olic.

The Conference Board’s index fell as consumers continued to worry about the impact of tariffs, the labor market, and the price of eggs.

However, two medieval jewels surpassed estimates at Noonans Mayfair’s recent jewelry auction in London.

The Oscar-nominated actor debuted in the campaign for the new “Top Time B31” collection, which introduced Breitling’s Caliber B31.

The Congress is scheduled to take place May 19-22 in Brasilia, Brazil.

The family-owned retailer is the new owner of Morrison Smith Jewelers in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The “150 Art Deco” collection features a Miss America timepiece and a pocket watch from the brand’s Archive Series.

Alex Wellen, formerly CEO and president of MotorTrend Group, has taken on the role.

The Impact Initiative is part of the nonprofit association’s new three-year strategic plan.