Keanes Jewellers

20 July, 2010

Keanes Win Top UK & Ireland Award

Irish Jewellers is Independent Jeweller of the Year

An Irish family-owned jewellers, in business over 60 years, was last week named as the top independent jewellers in Ireland and the UK at an awards ceremony in London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

Keanes Jewellers of Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork and also with stores in Limerick and Killarney, are the first Irish jewellers ever to win this award at the UK & Ireland Jewellery Awards – the Oscars of the jewellery trade. Keanes won the top category for 2010 and beat off short-listed competition such as Assay of Notting Hill in London; ROX, Scotland’s top jewellers, and London City jewellers EC One.

Keanes were the only Irish finalists and were also short-listed in the Business Initiative of the Year Award for their “Pandora Club”. The judges said that Keanes level of service, selection of brands and overall shopping experience was exceptional and an example of how independent jewellers can be at the forefront of the jewellery trade.

Patrick Keane, Director of Keanes Jewellers in Limerick said: “This is a remarkable achievement and down to everybody here who works so hard. The judging process is incredibly rigorous over a period of months. We had to put forward an application, go through a series of interviews with the judging panel and then each of our three stores in Limerick, Cork and Killarney were visited by a mystery shopper who detailed the whole buying experience from start to finish.”

He added: “To hear that Keanes came out on top in the face of such stiff international competition is a tribute to all of the 55 people working with us. It shows that old-fashioned service and expertise, a complete range of jewellery and watches, a pride in what we do and our extensive brand range is what customers want. We were the first Irish finalist in 2009 and to go that extra step this year is fantastic.”

The Ireland & UK Jewellers Awards is established as the premium jewellery awards in the UK and Ireland and is known for its fiercely independent judging process. Keanes Jewellers were short listed with six other retailers for the title of Independent Retailer of the Year and four other retailers in the Business Initiative of the Year Category who are all based in the UK. There are 25 members on the judging panel from across the industry with 14 awards categories.

Keanes Jewellers are one of Ireland’s top jewellers. Gerard Keane one of the company directors has held the position of Master Warden of the Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin three times – last in 2008 - a testament to the expert knowledge of the business.

Their superb customer service has always set them apart, combined with their vast collection of diamonds, jewellery and their prestigious watch servicing department, highly-trained goldsmiths and engraving team. The retailer won the Cork Business of the Year Awards in 2008.