MARKET WATCH 市场观察 36 | JNA January/February 2025 Australia hosts a vibrant retail jewellery scene, with sales trending up and consumers moving to highervalue, branded items and custom-made jewellery. Market vitality may seem quite unexpected given the continent’s relatively small population of 26.84 million concentrated in three major cities and states – Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and the population centres of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. But these main jewellery hubs draw success from a good mix of independent jewellers, chain stores and an increasing range of international jewellery brands that have discovered the potential of the market and are opening more stores. The Australian jewellery scene is dominated by independent retailers, mainly small, family-owned manufacturing businesses usually run by husband-andwife teams. Over 2,000 independent stores operate across the continent, and nearly half of them are fine jewellery specialists, industry experts revealed. Buying landscape A vital link in the competitiveness and dynamism of these independent retailers is the phenomenon of buying groups. These work on behalf of the independents, sourcing products and raw material at competitive prices while offering services such as marketing, sales training, business and human resource management, and point-of-sale visual merchandising input. Nearly 30 per cent of Australia’s independent jewellers are members of a buying group. The three main buying groups are Nationwide Jewellers (NJ), Showcase Jewellers and the more recent entrant, Independent Jewellers Collective established in 2020. A fourth, smaller player is Leading Edge Group, which offers other products in addition to jewellery. The largest and oldest buying group is NJ with 369 members. General Manager Glen Pocklington agreed that buying groups play a pivotal role in the success of independents although the nature of the support they | Jennifer Henricus | Buying groups are a vital contributor to the dynamism in the Australian jewellery retail space, which is seeing independents, chains and brands adapting to consumer demand for higher-value items. 采购团体于澳大利亚的珠宝零售业贡献良多，见证独立珠宝商、连锁店和 各大品牌力求满足消费者对高价值商品的需求。 澳大利亚转战高端零售领域 Upmarket shift in AUSTRALIA Buying session for Showcase Jewellers members; diamond rings sourced by Showcase Jewellers Showcase Jewellers的会员采购专场；由Showcase Jewellers采购的钻戒
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