British gift company Suki has appointed Macintyre Scott Xtra (MSX) as its exclusive travel retail distribution partner.
The contract with Suki, which comes as MSX launches a drive to add more brands to its expanding portfolio, will last for a minimum of two years.
During that time MSX will aim to list the products with its ever-growing client base, which includes Brittany Ferries, P&O, Cunard and Princess Cruises. Already, MSX has secured a listing listing for Suki with MyFerryLink.
The Suki ranges it will stock such as ‘Lil Peepers’, ‘Traditional Teddy Bears’ and ‘Silver Tag Limited Edition Premium Teddy Bears’, will provide plush gifts for all occasions.
Nicola Ridges-Jones, managing director of MSX, said: “We see dynamic growth on the horizon for Suki and know that our connections will help add to that. Suki has a strong leadership team, with a proven track record in international sales, having spent many years in the industry heading up Russ Berrie’s international operations. We see the higher end products in particular being big earners. Like us, Suki is fast and flexible, and the fact that it is able to personalise ranges swiftly and in a cost effective manner is a major advantage.”
Suki is able to create bespoke products for travel retailers within a short turnaround time. Bears can be fitted with branded t-shirts to match the cruise liner or ferry they are sold on and more luxurious personalisation options, such as paw embroidery, are available.
Nicola added: “There is a real market on the luxury cruise liners for high end teddy bears and soft toys. This is where Suki really comes into its own and we know we can help it capitalise on this market and increase sales.”
Chris Robinson, from Suki, added: “It takes great faith for any manufacturer to put all of its faith into one distributor as part of an exclusive agreement. However, MSX instilled such confidence in us with its sterling reputation, knowledge of the wider market and long list of big name retailers. We are very much looking forward to working together to take Suki products to new travel retail markets.”
Photo: Nicola Ridges-Jones with the Suki products
