KATIE LOXTON EXPANDS INTO JEWELLERY WITH THE LAUNCH OF A NEW RANGE British accessories label Katie Loxton makes its jewellery debut for SS24 with a capsule collection of 18k gold PVD coated waterproof jewellery. Designed to be collected, gifted and treasured, the range is made to withstand the test of time, with twoyear colour warranty included - offering waterproof, sweatproof and life proof designs. Katie Loxton’s 82-piece jewellery edit is a collection that is fully stackable and created with layering in mind. Ranging in price from an accessible £16.99 to £29.99, the collection is the perfect addition to the brand’s covetable collection of handbags and accessories. The expansion into a jewellery range allows customers to completely accessorise their outfit in the brand’s signature affordable luxurious style. Designed to last and to be loved, the new jewellery collection is lifeproof due to the innovative vacuum plating technology, which is 10 times stronger than standard gold plating. Created to be worn for any occasion and durable enough to withstand the gym, the pool and perfume, the glossy gold plating promises to retain its colour. Katie Loxton is renowned for its range of personalisation options on the bag collection and many of the charms within the range can be engraved with up to eight characters. As with all Katie Loxton purchases, each piece of jewellery will also be gift wrapped. Jewellery comes on a branded backed card with sentiments such as ‘Good Energy’ and ‘With Love’. All items also come with a Katie Loxton dust bag and packaged in a gold bow gift bag with the option to add complementary personalisation. www.katieloxton.com PANDORA NAMED AS UK’S MOST PROMINENT JEWELLERY AND WATCH BRAND IN 2023 Pandora has been named the UK’s most prominent jewellery and watch brand in 2023. An annual report, conducted by Salience Search Marketing, analysed 11 crucial performance indicators, including year-on-year visibility, search volume trends, and brand awareness, for online jewellery and watch brands to reveal the names dominating the industry. Through analysing the number of monthly searches for each brand and calculating an owned social score which combines the number of followers and engagement rate across major social platforms for each brand, the report unveils the most prominent online jewellery and watch brands in the sector. The findings reveal Pandora tops as the most prominent brand in the sector. With over 1.8 million brand searches per month and an owned social score of 46,122, Pandora is the market leader when it comes to brand awareness within the online jewellery and watches sector. Swarovski follows as the second most prominent brand in the sector with 301,000 brand searches per month and an owned social score of 27,821 - thanks to their 18 million social media followers. Regarding organic visibility, there has been a 23 percent increase in overall organic growth within the industry, demonstrating a growing demand for online jewellery and watch brands. The online visibility of brands is ranked depending on the achievement score of their growth, and based on the level of impact a decline may bring to a brand. Pandora also leads brand visibility as it sees the biggest growth in online visibility, with a 22 percent increase. Brands including Warren James, The Beaverbrooks Club, and Watchshop have also made it into the top 5, with these increases in visibility highlighting a successful strategy and that the demand for jewellery and watches remains prevalent. In contrast, H.Samuel sees the biggest drop in organic visibility, with a 4 percent decrease year on year. High-street classic Claire’s follows a similar fate, as it records an 11 percent drop. Brett Janes, managing director at Salience Search Marketing, said: “This increase in demand within the industry indicates a successful strategy, with this period crucial for brands to continue amplifying their online presence to gain prominence in the year ahead. “It’s a shame to see high street retailers including H.Samuel and Claire’s facing a decline, however, brands who have seen a drop in searches will need to look at Pandora for inspiration, as the jeweller trumps both as the most prominent brand and in visibility. “Overall, building a strong following and online presence across multiple channels becomes vital in driving sales and capitalising on the expanding market demand.” RESEARCH SHOWS A COMPELLING SHIFT IN SHOPPING HABITS OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON Despite a festive spending slowdown, the GCVA, in collaboration with Global Data, reveals a compelling shift in shopping habits during the holiday season. Their nationally representative survey of 2,000 consumers indicates that over 20 million gift cards were exchanged during Christmas 2023, with nearly a third (31 percent) of respondents receiving one. Interestingly, almost a quarter (24 percent) of those surveyed received more gift cards than in previous years. Younger generations emerged as the primary recipients, with an astonishing 50 percent of those aged 16-24 unwrapping the gift of a gift card, compared to 18 percent among the 55-64 age group. The research also showed diverse reasons why gift cards are a popular choice. In addition to seeking to avoid waste or unwanted gifts, 20 percent chose gift cards with the intention of providing direct support to local businesses, emphasising the contribution of gift cards to the resurgence of community commerce. Another 18 percent turned to gift cards when faced with the unavailability of physical gifts in stores, showing their value as a dependable option amidst the challenges of the retail environment. Additionally, 21 percent valued the convenience of having gift cards delivered, compared to the cost and hassle of wrapping and posting large physical presents. Previous GCVA research indicated that 44% of UK adults intended to reduce their gifting budgets, which set the tone for a spending slowdown during the 2023 Christmas period. However, a noteworthy trend was the significant increase in the purchase of gift cards for self-use. Almost two-fifths (38 percent) of self-use purchasers did so to manage and save money. With February 14th approaching, the Gift Card & Voucher Association (GCVA) is now on a mission to inspire over 20 million people in the UK who INDUSTRY NEWS 7
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