Peter Smith gives tips on leading meetings, developing marketing, and making trade show appointments in the age of short attention spans.
Kering’s Jewelry Brands Suffer in Q3 Amid Tourism Halt
Boucheron and Qeelin performed well in the Asia Pacific region, but struggled elsewhere as tourist numbers dwindled.

Paris—Kering posted hopeful third-quarter results Thursday, pointing to a recovery ahead, but the luxury conglomerate is not out of the woods yet.
The company behind Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and other high-end brands saw a decline in overall revenue, even as online sales doubled.
Third-quarter revenue totaled €3.72 billion ($4.4 billion), a 4 percent decline compared with €3.88 billion ($4.59 billion) a year ago.
In the first nine months of the year, revenue fell 21 percent on a comparable basis to €9.09 billion ($10.75 billion).
“In a tough environment, Kering achieved substantial revenue recovery in the third quarter. The creativity of each of our Houses and the agility of our organization led to a sharp rebound in sales, nearly matching the level of the 2019 third quarter,” said CEO François-Henri Pinault in a press release announcing the results.
The company’s watch and jewelry brands, including Pomellato and Boucheron, fall into its “other houses” division, alongside Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga.
Quarterly revenue in the “others” division totaled €669.1 million ($791.5 billion), a 9 percent increase on a comparable basis.
Retail sales in this division were up 10 percent year-over-year while wholesale climbed 17 percent.
Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga were the standouts in this category, both seeing double-digit growth in retail and wholesale after expanding their directly-operated store network in Asia Pacific and North America and seeing a boost in online sales.
As for the jewelry houses, Boucheron and Pomellato “had a more contracted quarter,” said CFO Jean-Marc Duplaix during an earnings call Thursday.
Duplaix blamed suffering tourism in Western Europe and Japan.
Sales in Western Europe were down 41 percent and down 23 percent in Japan.
Boucheron saw bright spots in Asia Pacific, however, said Kering, highlighting its growth in Korea and Taiwan and its store opening in Beijing.
And, “Qeelin is taking advantage of the strength of mainland China to post outstanding growth,” said Duplaix.
Momentum in mainland China contributed to 19 percent growth in the Asia Pacific region.
Kering recently announced the opening of its new headquarters in Japan, located in Omotesando, Tokyo and designed by Pritzker Award winner and Japanese architect Toyo Ito.
The watch brands didn’t fare as well and are focusing on prime distribution, said Kering.
Kering’s luxury houses posted strong growth in North America, up 44 percent due to a rebound in local demand.
Online sales were a bright spot for the
For the first nine months of the year, e-commerce accounted for 13 percent of overall retail sales compared with 6 percent a year ago.
In North America, that percentage grew to 24 percent, double the 12 percent reported a year ago.
The loss of travel retail also took its toll as quarterly wholesale revenue in its luxury houses fell 5 percent year-over-year.
The luxury titan had 1,430 directly-operated stores as of September compared with 1,393 stores in June.
Kering did not provide financial guidance for the year ahead.
The Latest

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.

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

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.

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

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.

In his new role, sales specialist Billy Welshoff will focus on the eastern United States.

José Gaztelu has been promoted to the role, which has been vacant since last year.

It has also opened the application period for the Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship through June 30.

The owner of the Ekati mine, which opened in 1998, has filed for insolvency protection amid the significant decline in diamond prices.

The retailer will cut 16 percent of its corporate workforce as part of its plan to exit bankruptcy.

Of the many examples used in the filming of “Le Mans,” this one is believed to have spent the most time on Steve McQueen’s wrist.

Megan Piccione dressed Lauren Wasser in layers of diamond jewelry, making her stand out in a crowd that included celebrities like Beyoncé.

Following decades of association leadership, the “semi-retired” colored gemstone expert is turning his focus to gemstone education.

The museum’s new exhibition will feature one of Jesse Owen’s Olympic medals, Yogi Berra’s crown, Super Bowl rings, and more.

The new program provides access to media exposure and editorial opportunities for exhibitors and retailers.

The “Eclipse” jewelry collection captures the fleeting moment where light and shadow align though onyx, diamonds, and freshwater pearls.

Buying discipline at trade shows starts with clarity about your inventory levels, Smith writes.
























