The new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.
Pandora to Buy Back Inventory, Cut Size of Sell-In Package
It’s part of the beleaguered bead brand’s effort to turn the company around.

Copenhagen, Denmark—Buying back inventory from wholesale partners and cutting back on both promotions and the size of sell-in packages are a few of the pieces of Pandora’s two-year turnaround plan.
Called Programme NOW and initially introduced in November, the plan’s next steps were outlined in detail Tuesday as Pandora also laid out what ails the company.
The list of problems detailed likely will not surprise any jeweler who carries—or carried—the bead brand.
Pandora acknowledged that it has high brand awareness but no real identity.
Consumers are no longer excited by its beads, which it said are the “backbone” of the company.
That, in turn, has forced it to hold more sales to get rid of product that’s not moving—training consumers to never buy at full price—and left stores with a “cluttered assortment presentation” and a “build-up of inventory,” Pandora said.
In 2019, the Copenhagen-based company said it will cut back on the number of promotions between major gift-giving holidays and initiate an inventory buyback program in selected markets.
Though details on the buyback program are still being worked out, a Pandora spokesman told National Jeweler that the United States would be among those “selected markets” but the inventory “cleanup” will not be nearly as large as the buyback conducted in 2011-2012.
“It is also certain,” he noted, “that we will rely on our partners to jointly solve the challenge … As always, the U.S. will continue to do a garden cleaning in the spring as they have always done. Additional garden cleaning will be determined based on stock levels at a later date.”
Pandora also will reduce the price of its sell-in packages for retailers by 20 to 30 percent on average.
The plans announced earlier this week followed the November news that Pandora will pull back on concept store openings and stop buying back franchises from retailers.
In an interview published Feb. 1, Sid Keswani, the new head of the Americas for Pandora, told JCKOnline.com that the company considers its franchisees to be its “strong partners,” an apparent shift in strategy for a company once intent on cutting out retailers and running as much of its global store network as possible.
Also planned for 2019 are a rebranding, new advertising campaign, another new bracelet following the fall 2018 introduction of “Reflextions,” creation of an online bracelet builder and the debut of a new store concept.
The bead and jewelry brand saw worldwide like-for-like sales slip 4 percent year-over-year, including a 7 percent drop in the fourth quarter.
Total sales hit DKK 22.8 billion ($3.47 billion), up 3 percent year-over-year.
In the U.S., which is Pandora’s largest market, like-for-like sales were flat while total sales declined 5 percent to DKK 4.88 billion ($743.2 million).
New concept stores—Pandora opened 67 in the U.S. last year—and online sales drove revenue, while physical stores continued to struggle and jewelers who carry Pandora either cut back on their inventory or dropped the brand entirely.
The Copenhagen-based company forecasts a revenue decline of 3 to 7 percent for 2019.
The Latest

Take a gaze at the sky with this pair of platinum diamond-set star earrings with blue lace agate drops.

In 2026, the jewelry retailer will celebrate a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.

You deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.

Jeffrey Zimmer's decades of leadership at Reeds Jewelers are defined by integrity, a love of sourcing gemstones, and a heart for community.


The new high jewelry design and production process takes 30 days or less from concept to completion, the auction house said.

The holiday catalog for 2025 features never-before-seen images of more than 100 one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

The upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.

The brand has released a second installment of its collection of traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.

Corey rescued New England chain Day’s Jewelers, preserving its legacy with strong people skills, pragmatism, and a “get-it-done” attitude.

Charles Robinson Shay was sentenced to life in prison plus 120 years while his accomplice, Michael James McCormack, got 75 years.

The Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.

Timepieces at Luxury will take place at The Venetian and, like Luxury, will be invitation-only for the first two days.

The auction house named a new global head of jewelry, as well as a new head of the jewelry department for the Americas.

As chairman of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon has been tasked with honoring the past and shaping the future of the family-run store.

Katty Villapando Lyte and Mica Rencher received a $10,000 grant for their business, Shimmer Culture LLC.

The parents of the Dallas Mavericks rookie bought their engagement ring at a Day’s store in Bangor, Maine, in 1997.

The UK-based brand sourced the gemstones, which are fully traceable, from an artisanal mining community in Tanzania.

The trio of Advent calendars include a version with 18-karat gold and lab-grown diamond jewelry in a red lacquer jewelry box.

Created in collaboration with Nymphenburg Porcelain, the lock is part of a four-piece collection that took two years to bring to fruition.

Jewelry industry veteran Alisa Bunger has taken on the role.

The company and industry leader’s two-decade tenure with De Beers will come to a close at the end of the month.

“The Winter Egg” set the world auction record for a Fabergé piece twice at previous Christie’s sales.

The company will pay 1.5x silver’s current spot price for each pound of silver oxide batteries submitted.

The line includes a “Shadow” series crafted exclusively for the new men’s offering and reimagined styles from the brand’s core collections.

The rough on offer was recovered from a newer area at the Montepuez mine.

The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.