Nominations for the WatchPro Awards closed last week, and the magazine is delighted to announce the finalists in the Independent Fashion Watch Retailer of the Year category.
Retailers in this category have to be independently owned, operate five or fewer stores, and trade mainly in fashion and lifestyle watch brands priced at under £1000.
The winners of each award will be decided by a private vote among WatchPro readers.
A survey form will be sent on September 26 to a list consisting purely of retail executives, asking them to vote on awards categories concerning watch brands and wholesalers.
A separate survey will be sent on the same day purely to executives in the watch brand and wholesaler community, asking them to vote on awards categories concerning retailers.
The winners will be announced at a spectacular black tie dinner taking place on October 26 at the Globe Theatre in London.
Click here for details of table and ticket sales.
The finalists in the WatchPro Awards Independent Fashion Watch Retailer of the Year category are:
Steffans
The father and son team of Steff and Wes Sutter are fiercely independent about their business, and have created exceptional destination jewellery and watch boutiques in Northampton and Market Harborough that are renowned for their creative marketing and pioneering spirit.
HS Johnson
Celebrating its diamond anniversary this year is this unassuming boutique in Rugeley, Staffordshire, that punches well above its weight with sales of fashion watches soaring in store and online thanks to the passion of Michael Johnson, the fourth generation of watchmakers running the business.
Swag
Swag has benefitted from investing early and expertly in Pandora boutiques, but the five boutiques with the Swag name above the door, mainly in outer London, are doing a roaring trade in fashion watches while its upmarket cousin Burrells doubled in size this year with an opening in Winchester.
Bonds The Jewellers
Northampton is a competitive town for independent watch and jewellery retailers, with Bonds The Jewellers and Steffans spurring each other on. Jacqueline Butcher has overseen rapid growth of Bonds’ watch portfolio, which now totals 33 brands, and was singled out by more than one watch wholesaler as a great business to work with.
Hugh Rice
Family jeweller Hugh Rice advertises as a luxury and lifestyle business, and has recently added a LUXE concept store to its offering. The move has expanded its fine watch business, but the business remains rooted in the fashion world.
