Retail Shows Resilience, Despite Ongoing Closures, says JBT
April 14, 26
(IDEX Online) - The number of US jewelry businesses contracted yet again in the first three months of 2026, down by 2.4% according to Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT), which provides commercial credit information.
But it said the retail sector was showing "strength and resilience," with notably fewer business closures than a year earlier.
The total number of retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers fell by 537, from 22,486 in Q1 2025 to 21,949 in Q1 2026.
Combined figures for the US and Canada showed a headline decrease of 2.3%.
"North American total listings continued their trend of slight reductions, losing 431 retailers (-2.4%) and 125 suppliers (-2.18%), the JBT said.
"This is a sizable improvement from what we saw in Q1 2025, however, when there were 636 retail and 195 supplier reductions. The retail category continues to show its strength and resilience."
In the US, the biggest area of decline was among manufacturers, down 3.1% to just over 2,000.
The number of wholesalers fell by 1.7%, and retailers were down by 2.4%. A total of 87 new businesses, mostly retail, opened during Q1. There were 133 ceased operations, 20 sales/mergers and six bankruptcies.