Exhibitors and buyers at this week’s Continental Buying Group (CBG) show in Aventura, Fla., said that while they considered 2025 a relatively good year, a clear undercurrent of concern is shaping expectations for the year ahead. The sentiment reported on the show floor focused on cautious reordering, tighter inventory targets and pressure on margins as retailers calibrate for uncertain consumer demand.
- Event: Continental Buying Group (CBG) show — this week, Aventura, Fla.
- Attendees: exhibitors and independent buyers
- Sentiment: 2025 described as “relatively good”; concern about the year ahead
- Market region: US retail (independent jewelers and regional chains)
Context: how this fits into current market dynamics
The caution voiced at CBG aligns with broader retail dynamics seen across 2025: retailers reduced promotions, leaned into curated assortments and sought higher inventory velocity. For jewelry buyers and exhibitors, that has translated into a preference for fewer SKUs and merchandise that reads as enduring rather than trend‑dependent. Merchants referenced assortment discipline, giving priority to pieces with clear sell‑through profiles and reliable margins.
On the product side, quiet‑luxury cues — restrained proportions, satin‑finished gold surfaces and designs that read as durable rather than seasonal — are proving easier to merchandise in thin inventory environments. The showfloor feedback suggests exhibitors are positioning stock to match that buyer preference, with an emphasis on construction quality and finishing that supports resale value and turnover.
Impact: what US retailers, wholesalers and investors should watch
For US retailers and wholesalers, the immediate commercial implication is inventory management. Expect tighter buy plans, lower safety stock levels and an emphasis on replenishment models that limit working capital exposure. Merchandisers may shift assortments toward core performers and away from high‑SKU launches until demand signals firm up.
Operationally, that can pressure supplier margins and lead times. Sellers who can offer smaller minimums, flexible allocations and reliable fulfillment will be favoured. For investors, the signal is one of category prudence rather than collapse: 2025 performance was described as “relatively good,” but forward guidance from buyers points to margin and turnover risk if demand softens.
Marketing and merchandising should respond with understated storytelling that foregrounds provenance, finish and durability rather than transient trend narratives. In practice that means product pages and buying guides highlighting material purity, construction details and expected wear characteristics to reassure both retailers and end customers in a cautious buying cycle.
Image Referance: https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/cbg-show-attendees-concerns/