silver jewelry

Jewelers are bracing for a tough holiday selling season. They have reined in inventory levels, and they have cut their sales forecasts from "cautiously optimistic" to merely "about even or up just a smidgeon from last year." These conclusions are drawn from recent financial filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission, as well as from financial guidance provided to Wall Street securities analysts.



Jewelers have also implemented relatively conservative merchandising programs for the 2007 holiday selling season: they will be promoting jewelry with a proven track record, rather than testing new, innovative merchandise. Finally, they appear to be holding advertising budgets about in line with last year's levels, as a percentage of sales. The theory of simple: no amount of advertising is going to create incremental demand, especially when consumers don't have increased discretionary dollars.



The jewelry industry � as well as bankers and Wall Street investors � focus heavily on the fourth quarter for the jewelry industry, since nearly one-third of a jeweler's annual sales are generated in the two-month November and December period. Further, for many jewelers, this two-month period is the only time of the year that they post a profit.



By Friday, January 11, 2008, we'll know how the 2007 holiday selling season was for U.S. jewelers: that's the day by which most public companies will have made their sales announcements for the November-December 2007 period.



Jewelers' Inventory Levels Appear Well-Controlled

Jewelers' inventory-to-sales ratio is one of the most important financial measures of the success of a business. If inventory climbs faster than sales, jewelers can be left with unsold inventory and low cash levels. This situation usually forces merchants to cut prices, which cause margin and profit erosion. If inventory growth outpaces sales growth for an extended period of time, it can ultimately lead to the merchant's bankruptcy and demise.



The publicly held jewelers have reported their third quarter financial results for periods ending September and October. Based on financial filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission, virtually all of the public companies have reined in inventory levels in recent months, in anticipation of a sluggish holiday selling season.



By the end of the third quarter, holiday inventory has begun to flow into jewelers' warehouses and stores, so it is possible to get an indication of holiday sales plans simply by analyzing inventory movement. The graph below summarizes the inventory-to-sales ratio for the key publicly held jewelry retailers.



At a glance, here's what is important: the blue bar should be even with or slightly lower than the red bar. The blue bar is year-to-year inventory growth, and the red bar is year-to-year sales growth. Virtually all of the publicly held jewelers have kept inventory growth at or below sales growth rates. Blue Nile is a special case, since it has increased its mix of fashion jewelry which is not available on a memo basis. Zale's inventory is about flat but sales are down; this may be an accounting and timing issue. Otherwise, every merchant has been conservative with their inventory build going into the all-important holiday selling season.

Mademoiselle Jewelry Unveils New and Unique Website

Mademoiselle Jewelry today announces the official launch of its website, featuring unique imported jewelry, as well as a wide selection of sterling silver and gemstone jewelry.

New York (PRWEB) December 3, 2007 -- Mademoiselle Jewelry, an online retailer that specializes in exclusive jewelry, officially announced the launch of its website today.

The website offers a wide variety of jewelry to suit the most eclectic tastes. "I have always viewed jewelry as a form of art," explains Michelle Samson, president of Mademoiselle Jewelry. "We did not want to provide the same type of cookie-cutter products you find on every jewelry website. We wanted to ensure that each piece of jewelry we offer is a form of art, a form of expression."

Mademoiselle Jewelry features pieces from all over the world, including a one-of-a-kind line of gold-plated jewelry imported from Brazil, as well as jewelry originating from India and Israel. Mademoiselle Jewelry offers one of the largest selections of sterling silver jewelry and gemstone jewelry, while also showcasing classic pieces of jewelry, including Claddagh rings and Freshwater Pearl necklaces. In addition, the site introduces children's jewelry and men's jewelry.

The website was professionally formatted to provide a pleasurable and relaxing experience for Mademoiselle Jewelry customers. With vividly colored pictures, and an easy-to-navigate system, the Mademoiselle Jewelry website brings exclusive jewelry right to your home.

About Mademoiselle Jewelry
Mademoiselle Jewelry was founded on the principal that jewelry is art. Each piece of jewelry is hand selected for quality, uniqueness, and creativity. Mademoiselle Jewelry specializes in unique jewelry, sterling silver jewelry, and designer jewelry. For more information, please visit: www.mademoisellejewelry.com.

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