Silver Institute Announces Results of Annual Nielsen/NJ Retail Survey

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Mar 20, 2012) - The Silver Institute's Silver Promotion Service (SPS) today released an Executive Summary of its 3^rd Annual Silver Jewelry Sales Survey. As in prior years, the online survey was conducted by Nielsen/National Jeweler. It covered multiple measures of silver jewelry's sales performance during 2011 and included a section focusing specifically on results of the Holiday Season.

Key findings included the following:

• 77% of jewelry retailers said their silver jewelry sales increased in 2011 with 27% having an increase of over 25%;
• 53% of retailers rated silver jewelry as having provided the best maintained margin during the 2011 Holiday Season; and
• Silver jewelry represented, on average, 37% of retailer unit volume and 27% of dollar volume.

"We were obviously aware of silver jewelry's sales strength on an anecdotal basis. To have it quantified by Nielsen/National Jeweler is extremely gratifying," stated Michael DiRienzo, Executive Director of the Silver Institute.

SPS Director Michael Barlerin commented, "The fact that this is the third year the survey has showed such results has long-term implications for the industry. With 93% of the retailers saying they are optimistic that the current sales boom will continue, their opinion reinforces what I have said at various industry events and meetings, a 'sea change' has definitely occurred for silver jewelry."

Please click on the following link for the Executive Summary of the report:

http://www.silverinstitute.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/SilverJewelrySalesExecSumm.pdf

The Silver Institute is a nonprofit international industry association headquartered in Washington, D.C. Established in 1971, the Institute serves as the industry's voice in increasing public understanding of the value and many uses of silver. For more information on silver please visit www.silverinstitute.org.

The Silver Promotion Service was introduced in 2008 by the Silver Institute. The objective of the SPS is to develop and implement programs designed to enhance the image of and stimulate demand for silver jewelry in major international markets. For more information on the SPS please visit www.savorsilver.com.