IDEX Online Research: Berkshire Hathaway Jewelry Sales Lag

Total sales for Borsheim’s, Helzberg and Ben Bridge, Berkshire Hathaway’s three retail jewelry holdings, fell by 12 percent in 2009 versus the prior year, according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. 

Berkshire Hathaway management also disclosed that the company's retail jewelry business posted a pre-tax loss in 2009. Because Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate, it is not required to report detailed financial results for its jewelry businesses; thus, it did not report operating financials in dollar terms. 

IDEX Online Research believes that it is likely that the Helzberg division's sales were down less then the jewelry division average decline of 12 percent, while sales at Ben Bridge and Borsheim’s were likely worse than the average decline. 

Total jewelry sales in the U.S. declined about 2 percent in 2009, while specialty jewelers' sales were down about 4 percent. Thus, Berkshire Hathaway's retail jewelry division lost market share in 2009.