Jewellery industry embraces first trade day at LJW

The event hosted over 100 contemporary jewellers and featured a series of informative talks hosted by The Jewellery Show’s sister brands global trend forecasting service WGSN and Laura McCreddie, editor the industry’s leading watch and jewellery magazine Retail Jeweller.

Exhibiting jewellery designers and visiting retailers welcomed the move to introduce trade day Treasure in association with The Jewellery Show Salon, saying that it had been the “missing link” in past years at the annual event.

Exhibiting designers eager to meet and build contacts with potential stockists backed the move. “This is the best LJW show I’ve ever been to,” says exhibitor Cindy Dennis Mangan. “I always used to say there needed to be a trade day. It was such a missing link last year and I think it has completed the chain.”

Retailers Jos and Alison Skeates attended LJW for the first time ever this year, despite the fact their EC One store is based in London. “We’d never come before because it was a consumer event, so I think it’s fantastic that they’ve launched a trade day. We’ve met some really great designers, and I think they’ve really taken the opportunity to meet retailers,” says Jos Skeates.

Richard Slack, owner of four-strong mini jewellery chain Clive Ranger, said the trade day represented a new buying opportunity. “I came to LJW specifically for the trade day this year. It’s a good time of year because we start to plan our buying now, and show’s like International Jewellery London come quite late in the year, when you might have spent most of your budget for the Christmas period already,” he says.

National Association of Goldsmiths’ CEO Michael Hoare also heaped praise on the event. “The trade day has been excellent and surpassed my expectations. It’s showcased the cream of British talent and I’ve picked up lots of new ideas. It’s great that LJW is moving in this direction,” he says.

Jewellery Show director Julie Driscoll said that she was delighted to join forces with Treasure to launch LJW’s first trade day and thanked the participating trade organisations and WGSN and Retail Jeweller for their support. “Hundreds of the UK’s most influential jewellery buyers met with the UK’s most talented jewellery designers, supported by inspirational speakers at the Jewellery show salon. All agreed it was a resounding success. I would like to thank the trade for supporting London Jewellery week and for helping to create this brilliant trade day. Here’s to next year.”

While LJW has long been a highlight and an integral part of the jewellery industry’s calendar, the designers and retailers that Retail Jeweller spoke to all supported the introduction of a trade day, each describing it as a step in the right direction.

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