The National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG) and the Emagold Group, of quality gold jewellery manufacturers, have announced their collaboration in a unique project designed to further understanding between the retail and manufacturing arms of the UK’s jewellery trade.
The NAG is already running a series of Executive Development Forums in which owners and proprietors of independent jewellery outlets countrywide are meeting together, with facilitator Mike McGraw, to discuss items of real concern to their businesses.
The forums, which are only open to NAG members, are designed to help those taking part to address the key issues affecting jewellery retailers today. They also provide a frank and open ‘talking shop’ in which participants can exchange ideas and solve problems.
All fourteen members of the Emagold group have agreed to participate in a parallel Forum in which they will address the key issues for British jewellery suppliers. The two organisations believe that having the same facilitator, Mike McGraw, will provide valuable feedback and a cross-fertilisation of ideas which McGraw can use to help both groups better understand the others’ position. Eventually it is hoped that the Groups will meet to explore ways in which they can cooperate more fully to their mutual good.
“This is a hugely exciting project,” says NAG chief executive, Michael Hoare. “There is no doubt that communications between retailers and their suppliers are not as strong as they should be and that the supply chain is not as cohesive as both sides would like. Everyone involved in the jewellery industry is competing in a tough market and the independent retailers and their suppliers are under real pressure. The more they can work together to increase the overall share for jewellery in the luxury marketplace the better.”
John Coupland, MD of The Saunders Shepherd Group and Chairman of Emagold agrees. “Emagold represents some of the UK’s largest and most long established jewellery producers and we believe that between us we supply around 10% of all high carat gold jewellery sold in this country. Collaborating in this way to share our experiences and our expertise and to learn more about what our customers want from us and what we want from them will be a tremendous fillip for us all,” he said.
