{"id":37531,"date":"2026-08-11T19:03:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:33:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/?p=37531"},"modified":"2026-08-11T19:03:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:33:38","slug":"katie-cottham-santina-tizzano-of-ht-group-indias-manufacturing-reputation-brought-us-to-iijs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/katie-cottham-santina-tizzano-of-ht-group-indias-manufacturing-reputation-brought-us-to-iijs\/","title":{"rendered":"Katie Cottham & Santina Tizzano of H&T Group: \u201cIndia’s Manufacturing Reputation Brought Us to IIJS\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

H&T Group, one of the UK’s largest and most established jewellery and pawnbroking retailers with nearly 300 stores nationwide, made a significant appearance at IIJS Bharat Premiere, underscoring India’s growing stature as a global sourcing destination. For Buying & Merchandising Manager Katie Cottham<\/strong> and Buyer Santina Tizzano<\/strong>, the visit marked an opportunity to experience India’s manufacturing ecosystem firsthand, evaluate suppliers beyond product offerings, and explore long-term partnerships. They share why India’s reputation for quality, craftsmanship and reliability made IIJS Bharat Premiere an essential stop on H&T’s sourcing journey.<\/p>\n

\u00a0What finally brought H&T to IIJS Bharat Premiere?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have\u00a0been buying new jewellery for H&T’s retail estate for over a decade. We have nearly 300 stores across the UK plus our online store.<\/p>\n

We introduced 22-karat new gold jewellery due to the demand from local communities in the UK two years ago, and this collection has grown rapidly for us.\u00a0While we’ve worked with suppliers from different markets over the years, this is my first opportunity to visit India and experience IIJS firsthand.<\/p>\n

India has an incredible reputation for jewellery manufacturing, so I wanted to see the scale, craftsmanship and capabilities for myself along with seeing in person how the jewellery industry here takes into account the UK regulations in their manufacturing.<\/p>\n

We believe that our supplier relationships are a partnership, so meeting manufacturers face-to-face and seeing their facilities\u00a0gives us a much better understanding of quality, production standards, and the people behind the product. It felt like the right time to come and explore those opportunities directly.<\/p>\n

What are you hoping to find on the show floor?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quality and partnership are always the starting point. We’re looking for well-made jewellery with consistent finishing and reliable manufacturing standards that meet all UK regulations.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, I’m interested in suppliers who can offer commercial designs that work for the UK market at competitive price points.<\/p>\n

We have come to India to source new designs specifically so we can offer our customers a breadth of range that is tailored to our customer base. It’s not just about finding beautiful jewellery, it’s about finding suppliers who will be partners with us, who can deliver consistently, reliability and good service over the long term.<\/p>\n

Is the India-UK CETA changing how H&T buys?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The agreement certainly makes India an attractive market to explore, and we are extremely grateful for how the lower import costs will enable us to keep our prices at a good value for our customers. For us it’s not just about price, we’re looking at compliance reliability, lead times, and the strength of the supplier relationship.<\/p>\n

What does the British jewellery customer want?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The UK customer is very diverse. We see demand across different communities, age groups, and price points, but customers generally want jewellery that’s wearable, good quality and offers value for money. There is a continued interest in classic gold pieces that people can wear every day, alongside more contemporary, lighter-weight designs. I’m interested to see how Indian manufacturers balance traditional craftsmanship with modern styling that could appeal to our customers in the UK.<\/p>\n

What are your expectations going in?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’ve heard a lot about the scale of IIJS, so I’m looking forward to seeing just how extensive it is. I’m expecting a huge variety of manufacturers and designs. I’m particularly interested in discovering suppliers and jewellery designs I wouldn’t normally come across in the UK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

H&T Group, one of the UK’s largest and most established jewellery and pawnbroking retailers with nearly 300 stores nationwide, made a significant appearance at IIJS Bharat Premiere, underscoring India’s growing stature as a global sourcing destination. For Buying & Merchandising Manager Katie Cottham and Buyer Santina Tizzano, the visit marked an opportunity to experience India’s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":37532,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107,79],"tags":[],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-37531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-retail","category-viewpoint"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKatie Cottham & Santina Tizzano of H&T Group: \u201cIndia's Manufacturing Reputation Brought Us to IIJS\u201d - Solitaire magazine is a International jewellery magazine - India\u2019s leading B2B gem and jewellery magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/katie-cottham-santina-tizzano-of-ht-group-indias-manufacturing-reputation-brought-us-to-iijs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Katie Cottham & Santina Tizzano of H&T Group: \u201cIndia's Manufacturing Reputation Brought Us to IIJS\u201d - Solitaire magazine is a International jewellery magazine - India\u2019s leading B2B gem and jewellery magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"H&T Group, one of the UK’s largest and most established jewellery and pawnbroking retailers with nearly 300 stores nationwide, made a significant appearance at IIJS Bharat Premiere, underscoring India’s growing stature as a global sourcing destination. 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