Kering’s Jewelry Brands Persevere as Q1 Sales Sink 14%
Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.

The luxury titan reported first-quarter revenue of €3.88 billion ($4.42 billion), down 14 percent year-over-year.
“As we had anticipated, Kering faced a difficult start to the year,” CEO François-Henri Pinault said.
“We are increasing our vigilance to weather the macroeconomic headwinds our industry faces, and I am convinced that we will come out stronger from the present situation.”
Kering noted a gradual slowdown in retail activity at the start of the year, adding that the uncertain macro environment is weighing on consumer confidence.
A poor performance by Gucci weighed heavily on its balance sheet.
Gucci’s quarterly sales sank 24 percent (25 percent on a comparable basis).
Revenue from Gucci’s directly operated store network was down 25 percent, due in part to low store traffic, while its wholesale revenue sank 33 percent.
Gucci also named a new artistic director to replace Sabato De Sarno, who left the brand earlier this year.
The brand appointed Demna Gvasalia, better known as Demna, to the role. He is the former creative director of fellow Kering-owned brand Balenciaga.
The company’s jewelry brands, which include Boucheron and Pomellato, fall into its “other houses” division, alongside Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga.
For the first quarter, revenue in the division totaled €733 million ($835 million), down 11 percent year-over-year.
On a comparable basis, sales in the stores Kering owns and operates were down 9 percent in the quarter.
The division’s wholesale revenue fell 17 percent.
While the division struggled overall, sales grew for Kering’s jewelry brands in Q1.
“The group’s jewelry houses pursued their development,” Kering said. “Boucheron achieved a robust performance over a high comparison base, Pomellato had an excellent quarter, driven in particular by new pieces in its ‘Nudo’ line, and Qeelin achieved outstanding growth.”
Boucheron recently opened its first U.S. store in New York City and then opened another in Las Vegas.
Kering closed 25 stores on a net basis in Q1, bringing its directly operated store count to 1,788.
Looking at Kering’s overall performance by channel, first-quarter sales from its directly operated retail network, including e-commerce, fell 16 percent on a comparable basis.
Wholesale revenue (excluding the eyewear, beauty, and “royalties and other” divisions) was down 23 percent on a comparable basis in the quarter as Kering continued to make its distribution more exclusive.
By region, Kering noted weakening year-over-year sales in North America (down 13 percent), Western Europe (down 13 percent), and Japan (down 11 percent) while quarterly sales in the Asia-Pacific region (down 25 percent) were in line with last year’s fourth quarter.
North America accounted for 23 percent of Kering’s Q1 sales, up 1 percent from last year, making it the company’s third-largest market, with Asia Pacific (31 percent) in the No. 1 spot followed by Western Europe (28 percent).
The company did not provide fiscal guidance for the year ahead.
The Latest

The Western star’s 14-karat gold signet ring sold for six times its low estimate following a bidding war at U.K. auction house Elmwood’s.

The discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," will take place on Saturday, May 16, in Troy, Michigan.

The jewelry industry is reassessing its positioning as Gen Z reshapes the retail landscape and lab grown continues to gain market share.

With the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.

A matching pair of 18.38-carat, D-color diamonds from Botswana’s Jwaneng mine sold for $3.3 million, the top lot of the jewelry auction.


Sponsored by A Diamond Is Forever

The next generation of lapidarists are entrepreneurial, engaged online, and see the craft as a means for artistic expression.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

It was the second auction appearance for the fancy vivid blue-green diamond, which sold for $7.8 million at Christie’s Geneva 12 years ago.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force took a 22-year-old man into custody. He was charged with tampering with evidence.

While the overall number of crimes was down, there were more incidences in which robbers pulled out guns, mace, or rammed cars into stores.

Jack Sutton Fine Jewelry is closing its store inside the downtown shopping center after 40 years in business.

Reena Ahluwalia’s painting of the rare red diamond is the first contemporary painting to join the National Gem Collection.

The price of gold has risen, affecting the number of pieces designers make, the materials they use, and how they position themselves.

Peter Smith gives tips on leading meetings, developing marketing, and making trade show appointments in the age of short attention spans.

The 11-piece “Medallions” capsule collection features five motifs: a crying eye, a heart on fire, a spiral, a flower, and a swallow.

From Gen Z’s view of luxury to “doom spending,” these are the six consumer trends to note this year.

The partners have announced the second cycle of the program, which has expanded to include a $25,000 student scholarship.

The owners of Staats Jewelers are heading into retirement.

Jeffrey Gennette, who retired in 2024 after 41 years with Macy’s, is the newest member of the jewelry retailer’s board of directors.

May babies are lucky to have emeralds, a gemstone admired for centuries, as their birthstone, writes Amanda Gizzi.

The new module allows retailers to plan, promote, and measure the success of events from a single dashboard.

NDC said in an open letter that Pandora’s statements about the carbon footprint of lab grown versus natural diamonds are inaccurate.

The diamantaire and industry leader succeeds Feriel Zerouki and said he will focus on being a “champion” for natural diamonds.

She wore our Piece of the Week, Glenn Spiro’s “Old Moghul Golconda” earrings, featuring fancy brown-yellow diamonds totaling 51.90 carats.

Two pieces were named “Best in Show,” one from the retail category and one from the supplier category.

Led by the 6.59-carat sapphire, the sale garnered $9.7 million, a record total for a Heritage jewelry auction.

























