Signet Has Made Another Acquisition

On a call with the National Jeweler Wednesday afternoon, Chief Financial, Strategy and Services Officer Joan Hilson said the company has acquired the assets of the Service Jewelry Repair National Repair Center, or SJR.

The price of the acquisition was not disclosed, although Signet confirmed it would retain SJR’s employees, who would become Signet employees and remain in their current location.

Located in Brentwood, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, SJR is a full-service jeweler, watch repair center, and retailer.

Formerly owned by now-closed Service Merchandise, the company opened its first location in Madison, Tennessee, in 2002.

According to its website, it expanded in 2003, opening a national repair center in Brentwood that currently services more than 4,000 stores across the country.

The acquisition, “unlocks new capabilities for us with the ability to perform our own in-house watch repairs as SJR is certified to work on all major watch brands,” noted Hilson.

She also said the jeweler has plans for the recently closed Blue Nile fulfillment center in Seattle, which will transition into a central repair center that will service all Signet’s banners.

“The capabilities that SJR and the Blue Nile center bring will complement the capabilities of our existing team of 1,800 jewelers and further position Signet as the most prominent service provider in the industry today,” said Hilson.

Its services portfolio includes Rocksbox, the jewelry subscription business it acquired in 2021, as well as appraisals at select Kay Jewelers stores; a new insurance program at Jared, Kay and Zales; and the continued rollout of its Vault Rewards customer loyalty program.

The company wants to grow its services from a $500 million business to a $1.2 billion business, Hilson said Wednesday.

The acquisitions and new programs are “an example of our Inspiring Brilliance strategy in action as we continue to leverage the strength of our balance sheet to reinvest back into our business,” she said.

The locations of the service centers, one near the East and West coasts, will improve turnaround time while supporting the Jared Foundry locations, a custom jewelry design experience within select Jared locations.

Signet believes customization has the potential to become a $700 million business for it over time, said Hilson.

“It will also help us establish a B2B business, as well as a mail-in [repairs] business that will open up suzable growth,” she said.

“We’re excited about the advantages that it can bring to Signet’s growth strategy but also [it will] bring confidence to our customers that they’re building a relationship with a jeweler who can support not only new purchases but any repair and service needs that they have.”

Signet Jewelers sits atop National Jeweler’s $100 Million Supersellers and Top 50 Specialty Jewelers lists, with more than $7 billion in sales last year and more than 2,800 stores across North America.