Merrythought's Olympics teddy is a winner with toy fans
Sales of a London 2012 limited edition Olympic teddy bear made by Shropshire company Merrythought have raced past the 1,000 mark – just over a month after they were released for sale. Sales of a London 2012 limited edition Olympic teddy bear made by Shropshire company Merrythought have raced past the 1,000 mark – just over a month after they were released for sale. Bosses at Merrythought revealed the bears, which retail for £85 each, were flying off the shelves at a rate of more than 30 a day since the launch of the colourful range at the start of July. Hannah Holmes, who runs the Ironbridge-based business with sister Sarah, said workers had made 2,012 of the bears in each different colour available –turquoise blue, pink and aqua green. Miss Holmes, 27, said the Olympic bear was based on a design from 1948, the year London last hosted the Olympic Games, and each one was hand made using traditional methods at the Merrythought Village. She said the bears had already pulled in more than £100,000. [24link]
Sales of a London 2012 limited edition Olympic teddy bear made by Shropshire company Merrythought have raced past the 1,000 mark – just over a month after they were released for sale.
Bosses at Merrythought revealed the bears, which retail for £85 each, were flying off the shelves at a rate of more than 30 a day since the launch of the colourful range at the start of July.
Hannah Holmes, who runs the Ironbridge-based business with sister Sarah, said workers had made 2,012 of the bears in each different colour available –turquoise blue, pink and aqua green.
Miss Holmes, 27, said the Olympic bear was based on a design from 1948, the year London last hosted the Olympic Games, and each one was hand made using traditional methods at the Merrythought Village.
She said the bears had already pulled in more than £100,000.
She said: "There has been a great response to the bears, the London 2012 website sold out of its first 300 units within 24 hours, and we had orders of 300 from collectors before that.
"To sell 1,300 in just over a month has been a great effort. If sales continue like this we will have sold most of our quota by Christmas.
"The sales started quick but are continuing to build momentum, which is also good news."
She added: "They are a limited edition bear, so when they are gone, they're gone - we won't be making any more. The summer months are usually quiet, the staff normally only work a four-day week.
"But because the Olympic bears have done so well the staff have all been in five days a week and working hard, it's really positive to see.
"We currently have 40 retailers throughout the country selling our products and hope to have more come on board by Christmas.
"We are now working hard to get the next batch of 1,000 produced, before we start producing a new Team GB Bear in time for the Olympics."
The Holmes sisters took over the business earlier this year after their father, Oliver Holmes, died of cancer.
For more details, visit www.merrythought.co.uk
By Peter Finch
