These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
Sears, Macy’s Announce Even More Store Closings
The former will shutter 103 doors early this year while the latter has announced the location of 11 more stores it is shutting down.

New York--Sears and Macy’s are continuing to shrink.
After closing hundreds of stores last year, the two already have announced the shuttering of additional locations in the new year.
Sears Holdings said Jan. 4 that it plans to close 103 more locations--64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores.
They will close between early March and early April, with liquidation sales starting as early as Jan. 12.
Sears did not respond to an email request from National Jeweler Monday asking how many employees would be affected by the closures, but it did say in a press release that impacted eligible associates will receive severance and also will have the opportunity to apply for open positions at other stores.
A full list of the locations closing this spring can be found online.
The move is part of the retailer’s efforts to streamline operations and reduce operating expenses. The company closed more than 400 stores in fiscal 2017.
In its third quarter results announced at the end of November, Sears reported a net loss of $558 million, compared with a net loss of $748 million in the third quarter 2016. Revenues for the period were $3.7 billion, compared with $5 billion the year earlier, with store closures attributing to about half the decline. Comps were down 15 percent in the quarter.
Meanwhile, Macy’s is set to close 11 more stores in 2018 as part of a previously announced plan to trim its brick-and-mortar footprint by 100 total locations and cut back on costs in 2018. (The locations, undisclosed up to now, can be found in this release.)
The 11 closings brings it to 81 stores closed so far. The remaining 19 locations and date of closure have yet to be announced.
The retailer said it has shut down a total of 124 stores since 2015. The closures are expected to help the company save as much as $300 million in fiscal 2018 but also will result in about 5,000 job cuts.
Macy’s announced the locations of the 11 stores that are closing when it reported its holiday sales results.
Comps were up 1 percent year-over-year in the November-December period.
This follows a 4 percent decline in same-store sales and a 6 percent decline in total sales in its third quarter when compared with the year earlier.
The Latest

Mejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.

The Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.

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

The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.


Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.

Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.

Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.

The new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.

Production has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.

West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.

In the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.

Cohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.

“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.

The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.

It’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.

The deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.

After 28 years with JCK, the veteran industry journalist is launching his own publication on Substack called The Jewelry Wire.

Wiley said the project will give scientists worldwide access to the American Museum of Natural’s History renowned mineral collection.

The “Flower Puff” collection looks to beaded flower friendship bracelets from childhood, turning the silhouette into nostalgic fine jewelry.

Set for April 2, the webinar will discuss how the jewelry industry can address the workforce gap.

Bayer, founder of Lisa Bayer Designs, is remembered as “a bright light in every room.”

The highest-grossing lot was a Tiffany & Co. ring set with a flawless, emerald-cut diamond of 10 carats.

The next three editions of AGTA GemFair Tucson will feature a five-day show that includes Sunday.

Former Sotheby’s executive Tom Heap has taken on the London-based role.

The group of women allegedly robbed two Catbird stores and one Gorjana location on the afternoon of March 9.

Movado CEO Efraim Grinberg noted continued strength in the fashion watch and accessible luxury segments in the U.S.























