Jewellery Focus JFOC September 2017 digital | Page 6

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RESIGNATION
CMJ’s CEO
Willie Hamilton
steps down
Willie Hamilton, CEO of Company
of Master Jewellers (CMJ), has
announced his departure from the role
after 10 years.
The CMJ is a buying group for
independent retailers of watches and
jewellery in the UK and Ireland and
currently has over 150 members.
Michael Aldridge, chairman of
CMJ, said: “Willie has now decided
to pursue a career opportunity closer
to his new home in the South of
England and will announce his new
appointment in due course.”
Terry Boot, who has been working
within the business as head of finance
and business operations, will in the
interim take control on a day to day
basis until a successor has been
appointed.
Aldridge added: “During Willie
Hamilton’s tenure, he has brought a
wealth of previous industry experience
in operations and marketing to CMJ
and we wish him well and all the best
for the future.”
Hamilton said: “After ten years, I
now have a new career ahead of me.
I wish all the members and suppliers
within the CMJ Group well, as they
continue to build on the success of the
UK’ biggest jewellery buying group.”
Read Editor’s comment page xx
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JEWELLERY FOCUS
TECHNOLOGY
High street
‘dinosaurs’
left behind by
digital age
High street retailers who don’t keep
up in the digital age will be left behind,
according to new data from Worldpay.
According to the payments
processor, small and independent
stores are seeing year on year growth
of up to 8% by allowing customers to
browse and purchase online as well
as in-store.By contrast their bricks-
and-mortar only peers have seen their
revenues shrink in the same period.
Among the sectors benefiting most
from investing in new technology:
n Florists that provide customers a
mix of online and in-store shopping
options have grown 8.34% in the
past year, while bricks and mortar
only stores whose have seen
revenues decline by 0.41%
n Bakers and cake shops that make it
easy to order from them online have
added 8.70% to their bottom line. Those
that don’t have seen revenues flat-line.
In-store sales among these more
digitally enabled businesses grew at a
far faster rate (+2.06%) than their bricks-
and-mortar only counterparts (-0.09%).
James Frost, UK CMO, Worldpay,
said: “Far from killing off traditional
high-street businesses, easy access to
technologies like ecommerce is helping
small business owners to reinvent their
relationship with customers by being
more flexible to their needs.
“UK shoppers still love heading to the
high street, but it is not always practical,
possible or convenient to do so. It’s
fantastic when a regular customer pops
in to see you for some advice, but our
data shows that real loyalty stems from
giving customers a choice.”
James Frost added: “Tougher trading
conditions emerging over recent
months have exposed a growing gap
between the high-street’s digital ‘haves’
and ‘have nots’. When times are tough,
it can be difficult for bricks and mortar
businesses to do much to open up new
revenue streams.
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ACQUISITION
Elham and Issa
partners with
Wolf and Badger
Elham and Issa Jewellery has
announced its partnership with British
luxury ret