NPD Launches Diamond Tracking Service

In the US, retail information firm The NPD Group has launched a new service to provide measurement of diamond sales in the fine jewelry market.

The firm says its new Diamond Tracker is the first service to provide the global diamond industry with point-of-sale data, and information on monthly sales and inventory trends. The service also enables users to drill down to performance trends by specific diamond characteristics for all diamond types - natural and lab grown - and all diamond attributes. It also tracks and reports market characteristics including gemological labs, wholesales source and form of purchase (outright purchase, memo or recycled).

The Diamond Tracker is supported by access to point-of-sale data of US-based retailers, supplied directly from store management software systems. The participating retail panel has been compiled to represent both large chains and independent jewellers, and the service is projected to reflect total Diamond activity for the US specialty jeweler market as defined by the Jewelers Board of Trade.

Chris Casey, MD of Diamonds and Diamond Jewelry at NPD, comments: 'Our information gives the level of depth necessary for members of the diamond community - mining companies, manufacturers and dealers, financial analysts and retailers - to understand and leverage trends, and create more focused and effective marketing, pricing, production and purchasing plans'.

Web site: www.npd.com .