Small Rise in US Watch and Jewelry Sales

(IDEX Online) - Watch and jewelry sales in the US rose slightly - up 1.0 per cent - in July, according to the latest figures form the US Department of Commerce.

The modest increase largely reflects a rush by exporters to get their goods into the US before the tariff deadlines and retailers stockpiling for the same reason.

It offsets low consumer demand, which is being compounded by ongoing anxiety over US reciprocal tariffs which are expected to force up prices.

Average monthly growth in watch and jewelry sales so far, for the first seven months of this year, has been around 0.6 per cent, compared to over 5 per cent last year.

Sales in June were down 0.9 per cent, a figure that has been revised up from the original -1.7 per cent, based on actual transactions rather than estimates.

Exports of Swiss watches were up 6.9 per cent, largely driven by manufacturers front-loading their shipments to avoid 39 per cent US tariffs.

Watch and jewelry sales in the US have been fluctuating this year - maximum increase 1.8 per cent, maximum decrease 0.9 per cent - but remain largely flat, especially compared to the sustained growth seen during 2024.

Jewelry sales in the US rose by 1.2 per cent in July, compared to a 0.7 per cent fall in June. Watch sales were up 0.1 per cent, compared to a fall of 2.2 per cent the previous month. The figures for June have been revised up by the Commerce Department. The overall increase in sales of watches and jewelry for June was +1.0 per cent, compared to a fall of -0.9 per cent in May.