Our inaugural CMJ Awards ceremony took place in August 2026, with the aim of celebrating the innovation and excellence throughout our retailer and supplier membership.

Here, we take a closer look at the winner of the Partnership Excellence award, Forum Jewellers in Broadstone, Dorset. This award recognised examples of true partnership between retailers and suppliers based on trust, communication and shared goals. Entrants were asked to demonstrate how collaboration has driven mutual success, delivered innovation or enhanced customer value.

Why did the judges choose Forum Jewellers?

The judging panel voted for Forum Jewellers as the worthy winner because the business has placed a strong emphasis on collaborative planning to drive mutual growth and long-term success. Its Brand of the Month initiative, in particular, stood out as a concept that delivered clear commercial impact and enhanced customer value.

Each month, the Forum team partners closely with a selected supplier to align on a dedicated promotional campaign tailored to their brand’s strengths and seasonal relevance. This collaboration includes jointly developing compelling offers, agreeing shared objectives with regard to promoting existing stock, offering discount, and/or promotional gifts or competition prizes.

Forum Jewellers then activates the campaign through a fully integrated approach: targeted email marketing to its large customer database, prominent in-store window displays and sustained social media focus throughout the month with weekly posts across Facebook and Instagram, in some cases with bespoke promotional material from the brand. This ensures the brand receives maximum visibility while delivering engaging and relevant content that our customers have come to expect.

This initiative not only strengthens Forum’s relationships with suppliers through regular, meaningful collaboration, but also drives measurable results in brand awareness, customer engagement and sales performance. By aligning marketing efforts and sharing in the success of each campaign, Forum has created a true partnership model that benefits both retailer and supplier alike.

In addition, the Forum sales team are kept well informed about the key messages of the brands, giving them an opportunity to showcase their knowledge to customers – even better when it results in a sale. The team provides detailed feedback to each supplier, including sales figures, outlining which pieces have been popular and any verbal feedback staff have received.

By combining regular communication, shared data and a straightforward, solutions-focused approach, Forum Jewellers has built strong, trusting partnerships that drive mutual success.