New category competencies evolve from marginal to mainstream - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., jewelry sales - Brief Article - Company Profile

New category competencies evolve from marginal to mainstream - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., jewelry sales - Brief Article - Company Profile - Statistical Data

Any retailer would consider it an accomplishment to be the leader in a given product category-and by this measure Wal-Mart has much to be proud of. But the true sign of retail dominance is the ability to consistently generate new merchandising growth opportunities-the yardstick that puts WalMart in a class by itself.

The areas that have been most productive for Wal-Mart in the last couple of years are jewelry and appliances, plus gasoline to a lesser extent.

In jewelry, the story is one of consolidation, and the department has grown bigger than one might suspect. In 2000, jewelry represented about 2% of sales for WalMart Stores division, or about $2.44 billion. In comparison, the world's largest specialty jeweler, Signet, which owns Kay Jewelry in the United States, produced about $1.84 billion in sales in 2000. Zale, the top U.S. specialty jeweler, did sales of about $1.79 billion.(Continue Reading)

Facing the facts: ranging from the first century A.D. to the present, "Retratos," an exhibition of portraits that travels this month to Washington,
Driven by the engines of identity, status and culture, portraiture in a considerable variety of forms contributes to the ongoing development of artistic ...(Continue Reading)

A "real man's ring": gender and the invention of tradition - American double ring ceremony, 1920s male engagement ring
Unlike many wedding practices that have obscure origins, the American double ring ceremony and the groom's wedding hand can be traced to advertising and promotional campaigns by the jewelry industry(Continue Reading)

Hairwork of the nineteenth century - hair jewelry: 19th century United States and Europe
The nineteenth century saw an explosion in the popularity of hairwork in Europe and the United States. Indeed, most surviving examples originate from ...(Continue Reading)

AAACN Viewpoint
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WHITE WEDDING
White is hot for weddings -- and we're not talking bridal gowns. It's what fashionable fingers -- third finger, left hand -- are wearing. Jewelers ...(Continue Reading)