IndependentsFeb 06, 2025
106-Year-Old Jewelry Store Saved by New OwnersTwo attorneys purchased Windsor Jewelry, which was set to close, and will retain all existing staff at the downtown Indianapolis store.
MajorsJan 21, 2021
Pete Engel To Exit Amid Executive Shakeup at Fred Meyer Jewelers
The longtime executive will leave the retailer at the end of March, joined by Kirsten Darrow and Carolyn Dabbundo.
Peter Engel, who has been president of Fred Meyer since 2005, will leave the company at the end of March, the retailer confirmed Wednesday.
Cincinnati—Fred Meyer Jewelers President Peter Engel will exit at the end of March as part of a review to “prioritize investments in our business,” the company confirmed in a statement.
Joining Engel in his exit are Group Vice President Kirsten Darrow and Carolyn Dabbundo, the vice president of sales east.
Jon Cook, the vice president of operations for Fred Meyer Jewelers, and Julie Keeney, vice president of sales, will lead the jeweler.
Cook, Keeney and the rest of the leadership team will report to Todd Kammeyer, the vice president of merchandising for the Fred Meyer chain of grocery stores.
The Kroger Co., the country’s largest grocer and third largest retailer overall, owns Fred Meyer and Fred Meyer Jewelers. It acquired them in 1999.
Engel has worked for Fred Meyer Jewelers since 1981, starting as a sales associate. He was promoted to manager in 1986 before moving up to become a regional supervisor in 1993.
When the company acquired Littman Jewelers in 1998, Engel was promoted to oversee operations on the East Coast before being promoted again in 2001, to group vice president of store operations.
He became president of Fred Meyer Jewelers in 2005.
Engel is a well-known and much-honored executive in the fine jewelry industry, serving on the boards of Jewelers for Children, the Diamond Council of America and of the organization previously known as the Diamond Empowerment Fund (now Diamonds Do Good).
He won the Women’s Jewelry Association’s Ben Kaiser Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and the American Gem Society’s Triple Zero Award in 2017.
He currently serves on the board of directors for Jewelers of America.
The exits of Engel, Darrow and Dabbundo follow last year’s news that 71 Fred Meyer Jewelers stores located within Kroger Marketplace stores would close.
In its statement, the company said Fred Meyer Jewelers will “continue to be a leading jewelry retailer … and an important part of the Kroger Co.,” with more than 150 stores and e-commerce operations.
Fred Meyer Jewelers ranks No. 23 on National Jeweler’s latest list of the largest fine jewelry sellers in North America, with an estimated $344 million in jewelry and watch sales.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Majors
The Latest
CollectionsFeb 06, 2025
De Beers Jewellers’ New High Jewelry Pays Homage to the Beauty of TreesThe “Essence of Nature, Chapter One” collection echoes trees and roots, literally and figuratively, through three sets of high jewelry.
IndependentsFeb 06, 2025
Hamilton Jewelers Revamps Palm Beach BoutiqueThe fourth-generation, family-owned jeweler has given its Worth Avenue store a new look.
Brought to you by
3 Ways to Capitalize on America’s Newfound Love of Colored GemsColored stones are stepping into a jewelry spotlight typically reserved for diamonds—are you ready to sell color?
CrimeFeb 05, 2025
‘The Timepiece Gentleman’ Sentenced to 5-Plus Years Behind Bars Luxury watch dealer Anthony Farrer pleaded guilty late last year to defrauding clients in a scheme with Ponzi-type elements.
Weekly QuizJan 30, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
FinancialsFeb 05, 2025
Pandora Posts Double-Digit Growth After Strong Holiday SeasonIn its full-year results, the retailer shared its 2025 outlook and an update on the global rollout of its lab-grown diamond collection.
TrendsFeb 05, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Feeling Fabulous in FebruaryCelebrate February birthstones and the gem shows in Arizona this month with a versatile stone like amethyst.
Brought to you by
3 New Year’s Resolutions for Jewelry Lovers The new year feels like a clean slate, inspiring reflection, hope, and the motivation to become better versions of ourselves.
SourcingFeb 04, 2025
New Deal With Botswana Is Done, De Beers Confirms The agreement will allocate an increasing proportion of the country’s rough diamonds to the government of Botswana over the next decade.
Events & AwardsFeb 04, 2025
Van Cleef & Arpels’ Astronomy-Inspired Jewelry to Land at AMNH“Cosmic Splendor: Jewelry From the Collections of Van Cleef & Arpels,” opens April 11 at the American Museum of Natural History.
SurveysFeb 04, 2025
Valentine’s Day Jewelry Spending Forecast to Hit Record High, Says NRFThose celebrating Valentine’s Day this year are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on jewels, flowers, candy, and more.
EditorsFeb 03, 2025
Best Jewelry Moments From the 2025 Grammy Awards From Lady Gaga’s 1930s Tiffany & Co. necklace to Taylor Swift’s “T,” Michelle Graff recaps the night’s most memorable jewelry looks.
MajorsFeb 03, 2025
Qurate to Close HSN’s Florida HQ Amid RestructuringLayoffs will reportedly start next month as HSN plans to move into QVC’s location in Pennsylvania.
EditorsFeb 03, 2025
Q&A: 5 Jewelry Designers on Shopping the 2025 Tucson Gem ShowsA group of creatives talked to Associate Editor Lauren McLemore about their approach to the annual Tucson gem, mineral, and fossil shows.
AuctionsJan 31, 2025
Elizabeth Taylor’s Diamond Bracelet Outshines Estimate at U.K. AuctionThe auction also featured the sale of a Cartier necklace made when Egyptomania was sweeping Great Britain.
CollectionsJan 31, 2025
Piece of the Week: Lalaounis’ Good Luck Charm for 2025The “Blossom Rosette” blooms with love, beauty, and hope for the year ahead.
IndependentsJan 31, 2025
Harvey Rovinsky, Longtime Owner of Bernie Robbins Jewelers, Dies at 77Rovinsky is remembered as a great mentor who made the employees of his stores feel like family.
Events & AwardsJan 31, 2025
Facets of Fire Has a Diamond Challenge for RetailersFor every jeweler who tries their luck, the company will make a donation to Jewelers for Children.
MajorsJan 30, 2025
WJA Chapter Leaders Resign as Fallout From DEI Remarks SnowballsThe boards of at least five chapters have resigned in response to controversial statements the WJA national board president made last month.
Policies & IssuesJan 30, 2025
RJC Executive Director Melanie Grant Is Stepping Down An experienced jewelry writer and curator, Grant led the organization for two years.
CollectionsJan 30, 2025
Pharrell Williams Brings Tahitian Pearls to His New Tiffany & Co. CollectionFive new designs were added, all donning Tahitian cultured pearls and spear-like trident motifs, along with the new “Titan” setting.
Events & AwardsJan 30, 2025
Registration Open for Converge 2025The inaugural event is being co-hosted by the American Gem Society and the Gemological Institute of America.
MajorsJan 30, 2025
24 Karat Club of New York Elects 5 New MembersJewelers of America’s Annie Doresca and AGTA CEO John W. Ford Sr. are among the new members.
CollectionsJan 29, 2025
Boucheron’s High Jewelry Takes the Form of ‘Untamed Nature’The jeweler’s latest high jewelry collection looks into the Boucheron archives to create a “living encyclopedia of high jewelry.”
FinancialsJan 29, 2025
LVMH Watch, Jewelry Sales End the Year DownWatch and jewelry sales slipped 3 percent in 2024, though the luxury conglomerate did see business pick up in the fourth quarter.
MajorsJan 29, 2025
Chanel Names New General Manager of Watches, Fine Jewelry for USOlivier Kessler-Gay will take over the role on March 3.
SurveysJan 29, 2025
Consumer Confidence Slips for Second Consecutive Month It hit a four-month low in January due to concerns about the job market, though consumers remain bullish about the stock market.
