GJ Town India

1ct. RAPI rises 0.5% in November   Diamond market sentiment improved in November amid rising expectations for the holiday season. A recovery in China and robust sales during India’s Diwali festival also lifted the mood.  Polished prices are stable for 1-carat and larger goods. The RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) for 1-carat stones edged up 0.5% in November.   The holiday season began with strong e-commerce activity as the pandemic pushed consumers to shop online. Digital spending on Black Friday rose 22% year on year to $9 billion, according to Adobe Analytics. The spike in Covid-19 cases in the US and lockdowns in Europe have dampened expectations for in-store traffic during the peak shopping period. Indian jewelry retailers saw the release of pent-up demand over Diwali. In mainland China, major jewelers are seeing double-digit growth. Hong Kong remains weak as the slump in tourism continues.   Polished trading slowed in late November as dealers in India and Belgium...

Retailers demonstrate ability, ensuring safe shopping!   Over 40 percent of holiday shoppers say they started earlier than they normally do, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics.   “Retailers have demonstrated their commitment and ability to ensure safe shopping environments for their customers and their associates,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “With consumers looking to fulfill their gift lists earlier this year, retailers are prepared to meet that demand with deep discounts, robust inventory and providing the best experiences possible whether in store or online.”   As of early November, 59 percent of holiday shoppers say they had started making purchases, a 21 percent increase from a decade ago. Even so, there is still plenty of shopping left to do. On average, holiday shoppers say they have completed only 26 percent of their shopping so far. Retailers’ top priority is the...