PRESS RELEASE: NAJ Calls for Stronger Online Marketplace Responsibilities to Protect Consumers and Responsible Businesses

The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) continues its work to strengthen product safety by engaging with Government on regulation, collaborating with other trade bodies, and providing practical support for jewellery businesses.

Alongside trade bodies across the UK jewellery, silverware and allied crafts sector, the NAJ contributed to consultation on Product Regulation and Metrology legislation. It is now supporting calls for robust secondary legislation that clearly defines the responsibilities of online marketplaces.

Coalition calls for action

A coalition of trade bodies, including Which? Toy and Hobby Association, Electrical Safety First, and other retail associations, will write to the Government, calling for a new regulatory framework that closes the gap between the responsibilities of traditional retailers and suppliers and those of online marketplaces.

The coalition is calling for Government to:

• Place a clear duty on online marketplaces to take responsibility for product safety, including proactive measures to prevent unsafe products being listed and sold.
• Give regulators effective enforcement powers, including meaningful financial penalties where marketplaces fail to meet their obligations.

Building on the June consultation

The NAJ’s position aligns with the British Jewellery Council's response (formerly UK Jewellery, Horology, Silverware and Allied Crafts Roundtable) to the product safety consultation submitted in June 2026.

The submission supported proportionate legal responsibilities for online marketplaces and other digital sales channels that control or materially influence how products reach UK consumers. It also called for stronger seller identity and traceability requirements, and greater emphasis on preventing non-compliant products from being listed rather than removing them after problems arise.

For jewellery and precious-metal products, the response distinguished hallmarking from wider product and chemical safety requirements, while highlighting the role of better digital information and regulatory cooperation in improving traceability and enforcement.

Supporting responsible jewellery businesses

Alongside its policy work, the NAJ provides practical support to help members meet their product safety and compliance responsibilities, including guidance on product safety and REACH compliance.

The NAJ’s Product Safety Code of Practice is supported by:

• a template letter for requesting product safety information from suppliers;
• a supplier confirmation statement; and
• a webinar explaining product safety requirements and available guidance.

View the NAJ Product Safety Code of Practice

Ben Massey, NAJ Chief Executive, said,

“We strongly support calls for clearer online marketplace product safety rules. Whether bricks-and-mortar, online, or hybrid, businesses should take proportionate, proactive steps to prevent unsafe and non-compliant products from being listed and sold. We cannot rely on identifying and removing products only after they enter the market.

“Those duties must be backed by effective regulatory powers and meaningful penalties where marketplaces fail to meet their obligations. Regulation should also be proportionate and risk-based, recognising responsible businesses that already invest in meeting UK requirements.”

The NAJ will continue working with Government, regulators and fellow trade bodies to support a framework that protects consumers, strengthens confidence and creates a fairer environment for responsible jewellery businesses.

About the NAJ

We are the leading voice for the UK Jewellery industry, shaping the way for our 1500 member companies employing 24,000 people. We protect, promote and prepare our members to make them Fit for the Future. The Association was formed in 2015 through the unification of the British Jewellers' Association (BJA) and National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG). The Institute of Registered Valuers is also part of the NAJ family, comprised of around 100 professional valuers with formal qualifications and substantial experience. Every NAJ member is required to abide by the NAJ's Code of Conduct - based on honesty, integrity and professionalism. 

www.naj.co.uk