继美国最大婚纱品牌“大卫婚纱”上周宣布破产后，美国最大钻石珠宝零售商西格内特珠宝公司也透露称“订婚空白期”让订婚戒指销量大减。
It seems to be a turbulent time for retailers who cater to couples in love.
做情侣生意的零售商最近似乎日子不好过。
On the heels of David’s Bridal, the largest seller of wedding dresses declaring bankruptcy last week, another big seller of symbols of enduring love, like rings, disclosed that their business has not yet recovered from Covid-19.
继美国最大婚纱品牌“大卫婚纱”上周宣布破产后，美国最大钻石珠宝零售商西格内特珠宝公司也透露称生意还没从疫情重创中恢复过来。
According to Signet Jewelers, the largest jewelry company in the United States, the pandemic dented sales of engagement rings as relationships faltered or never even blossomed in the first place due to the lockdowns.
出售戒指等代表永恒之爱的饰品的西格内特珠宝公司称，疫情让订婚戒指的销量大减，因为封锁让恋情摇摇欲坠甚至阻止了恋情的发生。
Signet Jewelers (SIG), with brands including Zales, Jared, Kay Jewelers and Diamonds Direct under its corporate umbrella, said a lot of early relationships in particular faded as lockdowns began in the winter and spring of 2020, only to be followed by a dramatic decline in dating.
旗下拥有Zales、Jared、Kay Jewelers和Diamonds Direct等多个品牌的西格内特珠宝公司称，自从2020年早春疫情封锁开始后，许多恋情都被扼杀在萌芽期，随之而来的是约会数量剧减。
This created, it said, an “engagement gap.”
西格内特珠宝公司称，这形成了一个“订婚空白期”。
"We’re still seeing it today,” Jamie Singleton, Signet Jewelers’ president and chief consumer officer, said during the company’s investor day last week.
西格内特珠宝公司总裁兼首席消费者官杰米·辛格尔顿在上周公司的投资者日表示：“时至今日仍是如此。”
Citing company research, Singleton said couples, on average, get engaged about 3.25 years after they begin dating.
辛格尔顿援引公司的调查结果称，情侣平均约会3.25年后会订婚。
The category will need to grow approximately 25% by calendar year 2026 just to return to prior engagement levels, she said.
她指出，约会人数须在2026年前增加约25%，订婚人数才会恢复到疫情前的水平。
But there’s some evidence of a turnaround, said Singleton. And it’s vital for Signet’s business, because 50% of the company’s merchandise sales come from the bridal segment.
不过辛格尔顿表示，现在有迹象显示这一情况正在好转。这对西格内特珠宝的生意至关重要，因为该公司售出的50%的产品都是新娘饰品。
Meanwhile, the pandemic also walloped sales of wedding dresses as social gatherings of all kinds came to a standstill, and couples postponed their weddings.
与此同时，疫情还重创了婚纱的销量，因为各类社交聚会都中止了，情侣们也推迟了自己的婚礼。
As dates were re-booked coming out of the pandemic, brides-to-be have had to contend with inflation and economic uncertainty bearing down on expenses.
疫情过后，新人们重新拟定了吉日，然而准新娘们不得不应对通货膨胀和经济不确定性，从而减少开支。
David’s Bridal said these macro trends, as well as competition from more affordable online and secondhand retailers, hurt its business.
大卫婚纱公司称这种大环境以及来自定价更低廉的线上和二手婚纱零售商的竞争让生意很难做。
"An increasing number of brides are opting for less traditional wedding attire, including thrift wedding dresses. These shifting consumer preferences have significantly exacerbated the company’s financial crunch,” David’s Bridal said in a bankruptcy filing.
大卫婚纱公司在破产申请书中写道：“越来越多的新娘选择了非传统的结婚礼服，包括旧婚纱。消费者喜好的转变大大加剧了公司的财务危机。”
