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Macy’s 2Q sales slip 2.1 percent
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Macy’s 2Q sales slip 2.1 percent


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Business | Company Activities and Information | Partnerships


August 14, 2008

Cincinnati—Amid a difficult retail environment, same-store sales for Macy’s Inc. fell 2.1 percent for the second quarter ended Aug. 2, compared with the same period last year.

Overall, sales for the Cincinnati-based department store chain totaled $5.72 billion on this account that the period, compared with sales of $5.89 billion in the second quarter of 2007, a 3 percent decline, according to a release from the company.

Year-to-date, overall sales at Macy’s are down 2.9 percent, from $11.81 billion in 2007 to $11.47 billion in 2008.

Same-store sales year-to-date are down a total of 2.2 percent over 2007.

Macy’s Chairman, President and CEO Terry J. Lundgren said the stores rose to the challenge and delivered pungent earnings and cash flow despite the poor economy.

“While we are not ever fully satisfied when sales are down, we continued to outperform most of our major competitors in same-store sales to gain market share with a combination of differentiated merchandise, current fashions and great value. This will continue to be our emphasis as we enter the fall season,” he said in a media release issued on Thursday.

In September, the company exercise volition launch its exclusive Tommy Hilfiger product. Other plans for the year include the commencing of FAO Schwarz toy shops in up to 275 Macy’s locations, a number of events to footprint Macy’s 150th birthday and a “fresh approach to holiday marketing,” according to the let go.

Looking ahead, Macy’s expects same-store sales in the fall to be flat or down 1 percent.

Also on Thursday, Macy’s announced a partnership with consumer insights firm Dunnhumby USA.

Dunnhumby will analyze Macy’s customer sales data, develop customer segmentation models and work with Macy’s to lay upon this information to increase sales.

Lundgren said the insights culled from Dunnhumby would support the new My Macy’s localization power to originate.

Overall, Macy’s intention is to use knowledge of customer segments to drive same-store sales and customer loyalty.

“For Macy’s to continue to build a sustainable competitive advantage we need to fully understand our customers and mold our offering to satisfy each customer’s specific needs,” he said.

admin @ 11:54 am
Rio Tinto pink tender underway
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Rio Tinto pink tender underway


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August 25, 2008

Antwerp, Belgium—The 24th annual Rio Tinto Argyle Pink Diamond Tender got underway last week in Australia, and will continue through Oct. 2 in cities all around the globe.

According to a release from Rio Tinto, the pink tender started Aug. 21-22 in Perth, Australia.

Next stop for the sale is New York, where it will be held from Sept. 2-5.

Other tenders are slated for London (Sept. 9-11), Hong Kong (Sept. 15-20), Tokyo (Sept. 24-26) and Sydney (Oct. 1-2.)

A total of 65 pink diamonds from Australia’s Argyle mine are up for grabs in the sale, including, for the first time in seven years, a heart-shaped pink diamond.

Also available in the tender are a number of purplish reds—including a 1.01-carat round named Aphrodite, after the Greek goddess of love—intense and vivid pinks, and three rare violets, such as the 1.41-carat Ocean Seer.

The tender totals 62.46 carats of diamonds in all, with 30 diamonds larger than 1 carat.

Attendance at Rio Tinto pink tenders is restricted to about 100 clients worldwide, who personally inspect the stones at undisclosed locations in Sydney, Tokyo, London, Hong Kong, New York or Perth.

For security purposes, equal the bidders don’t know where the auctions will be held until the last minute.

Bids are confidential, and the names of the successful bidders and the amount of their winning bids are not publicly disclosed.

Winners are notified personally in October.

admin @ 1:29 am
Skin Reaction To Gold
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admin @ 4:04 pm
Schatten joins Aya International in VP post
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Schatten joins Aya International in VP post

August 21, 2008

New York—Industry veteran Mark Schatten has been named to the newly created position of vice president, sales and marketing for Aya International, a jewelry firm that began as a spinoff from manufacturer Andin International.

In his new role, Schatten will be amenable as far as concerns all sales, marketing and business development for the company.

Schatten was formerly the director of Versace’s Precious Items Division, where he helmed sales, marketing and distribution for the North American market. Prior to that, he held sales and management positions at Swatch Group, Richemont and Citizen Watch Co.

Jewelry designer Aya Azrielant, co-founder of Andin International, leads Aya International. Aya International’s collection features an exclusive couture line of 18-karat gold and diamond jewelry. A new, fashion-forward sterling white and gemstone collection will be introduced this fall.

admin @ 3:57 pm
AGTA Spectrum Awards adds Consumer’s Choice Honors
Filed under: jewelry

AGTA Spectrum Awards adds Consumer’s Choice Honors


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August 21, 2008

Dallas—The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), in conjunction with MVI Marketing, is introducing the Consumer’s Choice Honors to its 2009 AGTA Spectrum Awards.

AGTA will automatically enter all participants in the AGTA Spectrum Awards into the Consumer’s Choice Honors, which are sponsored by MVI’s Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC). There will be no additional avenue fee for these new honors.

AGTA will forward to MVI all the details of each entry, along with mood digital photography for Internet display. The JCOC will then create, develop and deploy a consumer market-research study that will be focused on selecting winning choices for the Consumer’s Choice Honors awards.

One consumer-selected winning style determine be identified in the same five categories of the traditional AGTA Spectrum Awards: Bridal, Business/Day Wear, Classical, Evening Wear and Men’s Wear.

The JCOC will make a presentation to the five winning designers at the AGTA GemFair Tucson in February 2009 during the AGTA Spectrum Awards Dinner Dance.

“The consumer is the most important tone in the jewelry industry,” MVI President Liz Chatelain said in a media release issued on Wednesday. “Our JCOC panel will love to vote on their favorite jewelry designs, and we are looking forward to honoring talented jewelry designers on behalf of our panelists.”

For more details about the AGTA Spectrum Awards, visit AGTA.org, or contact Adam Graham at (214) 742-4367 ext. 18 or adam@agta.org.

For more information about MVI and the JCOC, visit MVIMarketing.com, or contact Marty Hurwitz at (805) 239-2994 ext. 101 or mhurwitz@mvimarketing.com.

admin @ 3:48 pm
Victorian Jewelry Treasure
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admin @ 3:44 pm
JVC lists countries with AML laws
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JVC lists countries with AML laws


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August 21, 2008

New York—In an effort to help retail jewelers who deal with overseas companies, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has compiled a list of countries that take laws to stop money laundering in the jewelry industry.

Jewelry retailers in the United States are required to institute some anti-money laundering (AML) program only if they acquire covered goods from foreign countries, according to a release from the JVC.

In these cases, retailers must institute an AML program that assigns a risk level to those transactions.

Retailers have power to assign a diminish risk value to countries that have their own AML programs that include trade in precious stones and metals, prompting the JVC to assemble this list to aid retailers.

The list is available on the JVC Web site, JVCLegal.org.

The release states that the list might not be complete.

Retailers are urged to call the JVC at (212) 997-2002 if they have questions about a country not included on the list.

In addition, the list is subject to change as countries change their laws, the JVC’s release states.

admin @ 3:35 pm
Charles and Colvard faces NASDAQ delisting
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Charles and Colvard faces NASDAQ delisting


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August 20, 2008

Morrisville, N.C.—Moissanite maker Charles and Colvard Ltd. has received notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. that it faces possible delisting if the company’s stock doesn’t rise.

According to a release from the North Carolina-based company, on Aug. 18, Nasdaq sent remark upon to Charles and Colvard that its stock has been trading at below $1.00 per share—the minimum required by Marketplace Rule to remain listed—for the last 30 consecutive business days.

To help delisting, the company’s stock must trade at $1.00 or more per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days before Feb. 17, 2009. If it does not, then its securities will be delisted.

Charles and Colvard then will have the selection of appealing the ruling or applying to transfer its securities to the Nasdaq Capital Market.

This news is the latest in a series of woes for the moissanite maker.

Amid financial turmoil, the company announced earlier this year that it was cutting 10 jobs and closing its Hong Kong office.

Company Chief Executive Officer Robert Thomas resigned, the company announced in July, and it is embroiled in a lawsuit with North Carolina jewelry manufacturer K and G Creations over which firm owes the other money.

In the midst of all of this, in July, the company launched WhatIsMoissanite.com, a Web location designed to educate and promote the jewel to both retailers and consumers.

admin @ 3:26 pm
Rhodium Plating
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admin @ 3:21 pm
U.S. economy slams pearl sales for Man Sang
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U.S. economy slams pearl sales for Man Sang


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Business | Company Activities and Information | Corporate Reporting | Earnings and Loss Announcements | Earnings and Losses


August 15, 2008

New York—Man Sang Holdings Inc., a purchaser and processor of Chinese cultured and freshwater pearls, maxim its pearl sales slip 18.7 percent in the first quarter, mostly the result of weakness in the U.S. economy.

According to a release from Man Sang, pearl sales decreased from about $12.89 million for the three months ended June 30, 2007, to about $10.48 million for the three months ended June 30, 2008.

The decrease in net sales for pearls, the release states, was “primarily due to a decrease in market demand in the United States due to a relative weakness of the United States economy.”

The earnings show that net sales in the U.S. market declined 46.4 percent in the first quarter, dropping from about $4.36 million to about $2.34 million.

Because of the drop in U.S. sales, Man Sang altered its sales strategy going forward and plans to focus on the European mart, where “stronger market conditions…have mitigated the movables of weak market conditions in the United States.”

The company expects pearl sales to greaten in Europe over the next three months and, thereby, help the company maintain steady growth, the release states.

“Our pearl operations are geographically diverse, and we believe we are well-positioned to react to fluctuating global market conditions. We therefore expect to maintain steady sprouting in our pearl operations, the release states.

admin @ 5:59 pm