Signet loses some of its UK sparkle
Charm bracelets and sparklers were top of the Christmas gift list this year, but demand was not enough to prevent a slide in UK sales, the owner of H Samuel and Ernest Jones said.
Signet revealed a 0.8 per cent fall in UK same-store sales in the nine weeks to January 2 – down further on the 0.2 per cent fall seen in the third quarter.
But Ernest Jones saw sales return to positive territory over the Christmas period, while Signet's US division also put in a more robust performance.
In the UK, Signet said trading was impacted marginally by the snow before Christmas.
It also announced it will begin the hunt for a successor to group chief executive Terry Burman in February.