Pandora Posts Strong Q1 But Warns of US Slowdown Ahead
The company said the “affordable” jewelry market in the U.S. is growing slower than the overall market.

Still, the company remains cautious about its fiscal future, noting the war in Ukraine, COVID-19, inflation, and higher interest rates could all negatively impact consumer demand.
“We are very pleased with the strong start to the year delivering record revenue for a first quarter,” said CEO Alexander Lacik. “All of our product platforms support the growth in Q1, as our ability to continuously offer new innovation pays off.”
Here are five key takeaways from the Danish jewelry company’s quarterly results.
Pandora’s quarterly revenue climbed double-digits.
First-quarter revenue was up 26 percent year-over-year to 5.7 billion Danish kroner ($805.4 million) compared with 4.5 billion Danish kroner ($637.1 million) in the first quarter last year.
It reported organic sales growth of 21 percent year-over-year.
Its sell-out growth (sales in Pandora-owned and -operated stores) was 17 percent year-over-year.
The company had a strong Valentine’s Day, with sales up about 30 percent year-over-year.
By sales channel, Pandora-owned retail stores, including the online store, brought in 3.9 billion Danish kroner ($555.7 million) in the first quarter, up 33 percent from the previous year.
Wholesale sales in the first quarter were up 15 percent to 1.6 billion Danish kroner ($221.8 million).
Pandora said its online sales performed well compared with 2019 levels, but were down compared with the previous first quarter, when COVID-19 lockdowns were in place.
Online organic growth was around 155 percent compared with the first quarter of 2019 and was the main contributor of growth from a channel perspective compared with 2019, said Pandora.
Given its strong first quarter, Pandora has upped its fiscal guidance for the year ahead.
It now expects organic revenue growth of 4 to 6 percent, up from its prior guidance of 3 to 6 percent. Its EBIT margin of 25 to 25.5 percent remains unchanged.
The U.S. market remains strong, but Pandora predicts a slowdown ahead.
In the United States, Pandora’s largest market accounting for 29 percent of total revenue, sales were up 19 percent in the first quarter.
Quarterly revenue in the U.S. totaled 1.7 billion Danish kroner ($233.6 million), up 19 percent year-over-year.
The U.S. market saw organic growth of 62 percent compared with Q1 2019 and has performed in line with Pandora’s expectations, the company said.
The Marvel collection did especially well in the U.S.
However, Pandora said it expects to see a “slowdown” in the U.S. market in 2022, noting the stimulus checks distributed in March 2021 boosted sales, making for tough year-over-year comparisons in Q2 2022.
“Data indicates that the overall U.S. jewelry market has grown 11 to 18 percent in Q1 2022 and thereby above Pandora US. However, data also suggest that the affordable jewelry market has been growing much slower than the overall jewelry market,” said Pandora.
Pandora has been growing its footprint in North America.
In January, Ben Bridge Jeweler announced it was returning 37 Pandora stores, including 32 in the U.S. and 5 in Canada, to Pandora, looking to concentrate on its core business.
Pandora’s presence has grown especially strong on the West Coast, as 20 of the acquired Ben Bridge stores are located in California.
The acquisition is expected to give Pandora 170 million Danish kroner ($24.1 million) in incremental revenue for the full year, converting wholesale revenue to retail revenue.
The company also announced plans in February to open 28 shop-in-shops in Macy’s as it looks to increase its U.S. market share.
“The long-term aim is to double the U.S. business vs. 2019 and 62 percent organic growth vs. 2019 this quarter is an encouraging path toward this goal,” said Pandora.
“Pandora Me” and Marvel collections were top performers.
Pandora broke down its sales into “global business units,” or collections.
The “Pandora Me” collection saw revenue more than double, up 144 percent for the quarter.
Revenue from its “Collabs” collection, meaning collaborations, climbed 54 percent.
The company launched a Marvel collection in February, drawing jewelry inspiration from Avengers characters like Iron Man, Black Panther, The Hulk, and Captain America.
“The Marvel collaboration is building on Pandora’s strong relationship with Disney and proved an imminent success in the quarter. Marvel alone accounted for 3 percent share of business and has so far been outperforming the initial launch of both Star Wars and Harry Potter,” said Pandora.
Sales of the “Pandora Moments” collection grew 26 percent.
The “Pandora Brilliance” collection, which includes its lab-grown diamond jewelry, saw sales up 9 percent.
It was tested in the U.K to a positive reception and the company plans to roll it out this year, but said no new tests were conducted in the first quarter.
The company did test out a new loyalty program, My Pandora, in France, with plans to introduce it to more markets in 2023.
The test launch was conducted online and in 20 stores, with 50,000 consumers signed up in the first four weeks.
“My Pandora will further improve Pandora’s access to quality consumer data and with the new loyalty program, Pandora will be able to target the consumers directly with content of their interest,” the company.
Pandora is also creating a digital hub in London to attract digital and marketing talent.
Pandora has taken a strong stance against Russian goods.
Pandora made headlines last month when it announced it was leaving the Responsible Jewellery Council, citing the organization’s refusal to cut ties with Russian companies.
It was one of the first to do so, alongside Richemont, and followed by Kering, Watches of Switzerland, and others.
Pandora said it didn’t see any “major impact” on performance due to the war but has suspended business with Russia and Belarus.
Russia, Belarus and Ukraine combined accounted for about 1 percent of revenue in 2021, said Pandora.
“The 153 concept stores and 66 other points of sale in those markets are no longer considered part of Pandora,” said the company.
Pandora operates 2,432 concept stores as of the end of the first quarter, down 227 from the previous first quarter.
Pandora is planning to continue to increase its store network, expecting to open a net 50 to 100 concept stores worldwide.
The Latest

The New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”

The latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.

The new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

Participants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.


The investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.

Smith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

The counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.

The MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Casio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.

Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.

Originally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.

Allison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.

Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.

Its investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.

Nicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.

Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.

Longtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.

The full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.

Model Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.

The board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.

Three winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.

JD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.

The new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.

Acquired by a tech investor, the historic brand will continue to focus on jewelry, accessories, and timepieces.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order extending the pause on higher tariffs to November as negotiations with China continue.