Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
MajorsFeb 20, 2020
Fink’s, Mayors, Breitling Opening New Stores
The retailers are expanding in 2020, planning store openings across the United States.
From left, Westime President Greg Simonian, Breitling ambassador and motocross racer Ken Roczen, surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, skateboarder Ryan Sheckler and Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert at the grand opening of the new Breitling boutique in San Diego (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Breitling)
New York—A few notable retailers are looking to expand in the new decade, planning store openings for the year ahead.
Roanoke, Virginia-based chain Fink’s Jewelers is set to open a new location in Virginia Beach this fall.
The family-owned jeweler is renovating an 8,000-square-foot space in an end-cap space at the Hilltop North Shopping Center.
The new space will give the jeweler room to expand its watch and jewelry offerings, making room to showcase more from its most popular brands, including Rolex, David Yurman, Roberto Coin, Tudor, Breitling, Omega and TAG Heuer.
The showroom will also feature a diamond department, which will focus on engagement rings and wedding bands, and a space for The Sabel Collection, the company’s private-label line of gemstone and diamond fashion jewelry.
“This beautifully renovated store will offer the largest jewelry, timepiece and diamond selection in the area,” said fourth-generation owner Matthew Fink in a press release announcing the opening.
At the same time, the jeweler will close an “underperforming” location at Chesterfield Town Center, a shopping center in the Richmond area, as per a local news report.
Founded in 1930 by Nathan Fink, Fink’s Jewelers has eight locations in Virginia and four in North Carolina.
Farther south, Mayors opened its second location in Georgia on Feb 11.
The new store is in Avalon, a development that is a mix of retail, office and residential in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta.
Mayors is the only watch and jewelry retailer in the community and offers store exclusives from brands such as Ulysse Nardin and Grand Seiko.
The store has a Rolex boutique and a hospitality area, and the brands it carries include Messika, Roberto Coin, TAG Heuer and Rolex sister brand Tudor.
Mayors is in the midst of a brand relaunch following its acquisition by Watches of Switzerland in 2017 and has set a goal of expanding to key cities throughout the United States.
The brand opened a flagship in Merrick Park, Florida in July and a new store in Atlanta in August.
On the West Coast, Breitling opened a new boutique in San Diego, its first in the city.
The store is in Fashion Valley, an open-air shopping center with upscale stores like Tiffany & Co., Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
in San Diego was inspired by the culture and vibe of Southern California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Breitling)
The store’s grand opening featured Southern California-inspired food and cocktails, a vintage SoCal Surf Woody vehicle, and a skateboard emblazoned with the brand’s logo.
Guests of honor included professional surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, motocross racer and Breitling brand ambassador Ken Roczen, professional skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert and Westime President Greg Simonian.
Looking at the overall industry, the number of jewelry stores in the U.S. was down 3 percent year-over-year in 2019 to 19,578, compared with 20,162 in 2018, according to the Jewelers Board of Trade’s year-end data.
The number of U.S. jewelry stores that closed, merged or declared bankruptcy totaled 717, but that was down 16 percent from 852 in 2018.
Store openings in the U.S., meanwhile, were up 6 percent year-over-year to 193 versus 183 in 2018.
The store’s grand opening featured Southern California-inspired food and cocktails, a vintage SoCal Surf Woody vehicle, and a skateboard emblazoned with the brand’s logo.
Guests of honor included professional surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, motocross racer and Breitling brand ambassador Ken Roczen, professional skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert and Westime President Greg Simonian.
Looking at the overall industry, the number of jewelry stores in the U.S. was down 3 percent year-over-year in 2019 to 19,578, compared with 20,162 in 2018, according to the Jewelers Board of Trade’s year-end data.
The number of U.S. jewelry stores that closed, merged or declared bankruptcy totaled 717, but that was down 16 percent from 852 in 2018.
Store openings in the U.S., meanwhile, were up 6 percent year-over-year to 193 versus 183 in 2018.
More on Majors
The Latest
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US OpenThe pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.
IndependentsAug 20, 2025
Bellman’s Jewelers Opens Second Store After COO's TikTok Takes OffThe New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, RobbedThe latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.
Weekly QuizAug 15, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster RestorationThe new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2025
Take the Jewelers for Children ‘Trinity of Purpose’ ChallengeParticipants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner LucapaThe investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ EarringsThe counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
Events & AwardsAug 18, 2025
IJO Announces 2025 Vendor of the YearAllison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LAThe full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
ICA Names 2025 Board of DirectorsThe board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Colorado Jeweler, Whiskey Maker Collab on Ring GiveawayThree winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.
SurveysAug 13, 2025
These Are The 25 Hottest Retailers, Says NRFJD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.
