Tunnock's merchandise 05 | 10 | 2012
SEVEN DAYS BEFORE the Tunnock's Mull Rally, Tunnock's — one of Scotland's most iconic companies — has launched a new range of official merchandising. Its arrival is just in time for Christmas and, of course, next week's Tunnock's Mull Rally (Oct 12-14).
Entering the merchandising market via its own online store is a ground-breaking move for the 122-year-old company.
And while we might expect rally crews to turn up next month drinking coffee from their Tunnock's thermal travel mug, fiddling with their and Tunnock's Rubik's cube and looking resplendent in their Tunnock's beanie hat, it's expected the majority of sales will come from the US, Canada and Australia.
The range, designed by Glasgow-based Orb Group, features the iconic branding of household family favourites, including Tunnock's caramel wafers and teacakes.
Is there a demand? Consider this: Tunnock's, the Uddingston-based company which started in 1892 and is now led by Boyd Tunnock, exports to more than 30 countries.
See more official photos of the Tunnock's merchandise
In the next 12 months, it's predicted that around 200,000 of the goods will be sold. Tunnock's will receive royalty payments based on sales figures.
The online store on Tunnock's website is already live, and some of the products have already started being sold from a small number of retail outlets in Scotland.
"We invited the people from Tunnock's along to our promotional merchandise showcase exhibition and they liked what they saw," Mike Smith, managing director of Orb, explained.
"We followed that up with a meeting where we said: 'Look, we believe this brand is big enough to have its own merchandise.'
"So as well as us supplying things for them to give away at their own events, we felt Tunnock's is such an iconic brand people would buy the stuff.
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"So it went all the way through to developing a full online store for them. We hold the items in stock so the orders come through to us and then we ship the goods out."
"So far we have had orders from America, Canada, Dubai and Australia. We are also starting to build up the marketing activity as well, and we believe it will grow from there."
With a range of limited edition items planned, Tunnock's and Orb are gearing up for a surge of interest in the run up to Christmas. It's also expected a number of physical retail outlets will be added throughout 2013.
"We expect the next six to eight weeks to gradually build up," Smith continued, "then a big surge as we get closer to Christmas.
" It certainly has the potential to achieve 200,000 of sales and it is adding value to what is a fantastic brand already."
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Jim McGill