Whitehall Jewelers, Inc.Chicago, IL, United States

Online Jewelry Sales Down - US online sales of jewelry and watches fell 10 percent in second quarter 2008 compared to a year earlier, negatively impacting jewelry retailers with an online presence. This retail category bucked the upward e-commerce trend: overall US online retail was up 11 percent in June 2008 from a year ago, according to ComScore. Total US online retail sales (excluding travel) hit about $31 billion in second quarter 2008. Video games, consoles, and accessories were the highest-performing online category, increasing 73 percent.

Wal-Mart Selling Green Gold, Silver - Wal-Mart, a major competitor of jewelry stores, is offering a new brand of sustainable jewelry that can be tracked from mine to market. The "Love, Earth" brand is sold at Wal-Mart stores, Sam's Clubs, and online; buyers can track a particular piece of jewelry online to learn where it was mined and read about the suppliers' environmental programs. Wal-Mart says its ultimate goal is to have all its jewelry meet sustainability and environmental standards, beginning with 10 percent of all jewelry by 2010. With the world's largest jewelry retailer pressuring suppliers for details on standards and sourcing, other retailers are likely to follow.

Bankruptcies Change Face of Jewelry Retailing - Two jewelry retail giants, Friedman's and Whitehall, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008, shaking up North American retail jewelry chains. Prior to bankruptcy, Friedman's was the third-largest chain in North America, with 455 stores, while Whitehall ranked fifth, with 375 stores, according to National Jeweler's 2008 "Top 50" rankings of the largest jewelry chains based on store units. An industry analyst predicts that a majority of Friedman's-Whitehall customers will turn to other mall-based jewelers, but adds that some independent retailers are ramping up for additional business.