H Samuel owners offset tough conditions with higher prices

Strong demand for charm bracelets and a 12% increase in prices helped Ernest Jones and H Samuel parent Signet narrow UK sales declines in the second quarter, the group said today.

Signet Jewelers reported a 0.5% fall in like-for-like sales during the three months to July 31 in a marked improvement on the 4.3% plunge seen a year earlier.