Overview

The 14,600 jewelry stores in the US sell fine jewelry, silverware, watches, and clocks. As opposed to costume jewelry, fine jewelry generally contains some type of precious metal or gemstone. Companies may also create custom jewelry or provide repair services.

Seasonality Challenges

Jewelry sales are highly seasonal, and December is an exceptionally important month because of holiday gift giving.

Expanding Competition

Jewelry stores have lost market share to a variety of channels, including department stores, mass merchandisers, online sites (retailers, auction sites, and Internet shopping clubs), and catalog and TV retailers.