The Latine-owned New York jeweler is marking two milestones this year: its 50th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
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

The stores that have a great December are the ones that made good decisions in August, September, and October, Sherry Smith writes.

The recipients were recognized at the 24 Karat Club of the Southeastern United States’ annual banquet.

Submit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.

Alberto Perez-Elias is one of four men charged in the armed robbery of a Cape Coral, Florida, jewelry store and remains at large.


The “Kat Florence Luminas” will be offered together as one lot and could fetch up to $637,000.

Four directors were elected to the AGTA board and will serve three-year terms beginning in February.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

Ken Citron joins the celebrity memorabilia-focused auction house ahead of its first week-long series of events in Abu Dhabi.

The jewelry retailer said it sees opportunity at higher price points, particularly in natural diamonds for bridal and fashion.

The Los Angeles-based, family-owned jeweler was founded by Lenny and Sunny Friedman in 1946.

The auction, held in Bangkok, was 96 percent sold by lot, with nearly 411,000 carats of Mozambiquan rubies sold.

Fine Jewelry 2027-2028 has more than 900 new styles, including silver, gold-filled, gold-plated sterling silver, and vermeil jewelry.

Learn more about the new terms for lab-grown diamonds and composite gemstones, and the major changes in store for precious metals jewelry.

Bromberg is remembered as a Southern gentleman who always wore a suit and tie and treated others with kindness.

With high durability and a wide range of colors to choose from, sapphires may be the ultimate birthstone, Gizzi claims.

Laughter is often considered a distraction in the workplace, but it has benefits for both staff and management, Peter Smith writes.

Gretchen Koback Pursel is the new chief people officer at the company formerly known as Saks Global.

The California jeweler is renovating its store in Fresno, with plans to show off the new space in December.

A lifelong practitioner of Pilates, Gabrielle looked to the springs’ tension and suspension when creating this ring, our Piece of the Week.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 13.

The auction house has promoted Remi Guillemin, formerly its head of watches for the Americas and EMEA, to the role.

Zaven Ghanimian discussed the value of human craftsmanship and where the implementation of artificial intelligence does work.

Jewelers of America also revealed the recipients of the Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship and its own scholarship programs.

The British actor, known for his roles in “Twilight” and “The Odyssey,” will star in a campaign for the Master Control Chronometre.

The “Confetti Disco,” “Champagne Cheers,” “Tuxedo,” and “Classic Punk” jewelry collections each capture a distinct spirit of celebration.

Nelson Holdo of Newport Beach pleaded guilty to multiple counts of felony grand theft and writing bad checks and was sentenced Monday.

























