There were no January blues at Ortak this year as the Scottish jeweller’s wholesale and retail divisions delivered a strong performance, despite not running a sale before Christmas.

Like-for-like sales at Ortak’s retail arm, which trades from 14 stores, jumped 12% in January on last year. Total retail sales at the group were up 23%, bolstered by new store openings.

Ortak did not run sales at any of its stores until December 27. The retailer holds two fixed sales a year and Ortak managing director Alistair Gray said that he will not be browbeaten into discounting by the credit crunch.

Gray said: “I was horrified by some of the tactics. That level of discounting affects the level of trust consumers have with brands, and it created a lot of uncertainty in the marketplace.

“People will still spend, but they’ll spend differently. I hope for us this will mean there is much more focus on good design.”

On the wholesale side, coloured enamel jewellery showed the biggest growth, with sales of the range up 35% on last year. Ortak’s bespoke division, which Gray said is usually quiet in January, enjoyed a record month despite carrying a higher price point.

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