US Watch and Jewelry Sales Steady in August

Sales of watches and jewelry in the US rose by just over 35 per cent year-on-year in August.That's broadly in line with the 36 per cent figure for July. Actual dollar sales this August were slightly higher than July. The percentage increase was slightly lower because of higher sales last August, as the post-lockdown recovery gathered pace. Sales were buoyed by an unexpected rise of 0.9 per cent in overall retail sales during August, as reported by the US Department of Commerce, in spite of rising prices and a shortage of goods.Meanwhile, figures for every month since January have been revised upwards, based on actual through-the-till sales rather than original estimates.  The most marked increase was just over seven per cent in April.  IDEX Online subscribers please click here to read the full report.