Decline in US Jewelry Businesses Slows Slightly

(IDEX Online) - The decline in the number of US jewelry businesses slowed slightly in the second quarter of 2026.

The total number of retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers dipped by 1.5% year-on-year, according to the Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT), which provides commercial credit information. That compares with a 2.4% decline in the first quarter.

In the three months that ended June 30, 80 companies exited the sector, versus 174 in the same period a year earlier. In total, there were 21,892 companies active in the US industry at the end of the quarter, 1.5% fewer than in the same period of 2025.

Manufacturers fared worst, down 2.4% from 2,104 to 2,054. Retailers were down 1.5% to 16,620 and wholesalers down 0.7% to 3,218.

Of the businesses that discontinued operations, 11 dropped out due to mergers or takeovers, nine went bankrupt, and 60 closed for other reasons. Meanwhile, the number of new businesses slipped to 80 from 97 the year before.

The JBT also downgraded 1,392 companies' credit ratings across the US and Canada during the quarter, as opposed to 561 a year ago. It raised the scores of 1,153 businesses, compared to 639 in the April-to-June period of 2025.