Spanish jewellery and accessories specialist Tous, known widely as ‘the bear brand’, is partnering with The Moodie Davitt Report in a branded promotion on our homepage to celebrate Teddy Bear Day on 9 September.
The company is investing strongly in travel retail, where it sees rich potential. “Even though travel retail is a fairly new channel for the brand, and we are just at the start of the growth journey, 2018 was a strong year for us and we posted +30% growth,” said Tous Travel Retail and Wholesale Director Sergi Tomas.
“We opened 41 new locations in 2018 and a handful so far this year, bringing our total [number of] POS in travel retail to over 110.”
Teddy bear origins The teddy bear owes its name to Theodore Roosevelt, popularly known as Teddy, American President from 1901 to 1909. The story dates back to a hunting trip in Mississippi in 1902 when Roosevelt refused to shoot an injured bear. According to Smithsonian.com, news of the President’s compassion quickly spread and on 17 November a sketch of the incident (below) by cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman appeared in the Washington Post. Roosevelt is dressed in full rough rider uniform, with his back to a tied, frightened and docile bear cub, refusing to shoot. The cartoon, notes Smithsonian, was titled ‘Drawing the Line in Mississippi’, believed to be a play on words drawing a parallel between Roosevelt’s sportsman’s code and his criticism of lynchings in the South.  The report says that Morris and Rose Mitchtom, owners of a New York sweets and novelty items shop, heard about the incident and put a stuffed bear made by Rose in their window. It was dubbed Teddy’s bear and, with Presidential permission to use the name granted, turned into a best-seller. Roosevelt adopted the teddy bear as the Republican Party symbol for the 1904 election. The Michtoms went on to make a fortune as proprietors of the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company, Smithsonian.com explains. In the same year, European versions of the teddy bear emerged, created by Richard Steiff in Germany, nephew to Margarete Steiff, founder of the family firm (now called Steiff). Teddy bears, teddies or just plain ‘teds’ have varied in form, style, colour, and material ever since. They are among the most popular gifts for children and are regarded as a universal symbol of love and tenderness. *ALSO READ The History of the Teddy Bear: From Wet and Angry to Soft and Cuddly – Smithsonian.com The Story of the Teddy Bear – National Park Service |
Tous has been associated with the bear since 1985. Over the years, many famous faces have worn the bear symbol, including brand ambassadors Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow. American actress Emma Roberts is the latest name to take on the Brand Ambassador role.
Founded in 1920 by Salvador Tous Blavi and Teresa Ponsa Mas, Tous started life as a small watch repair shop in Barcelona. In 1965 Salvador Tous, son of Salvador Tous Blavi, and his wife Rosa Oriol took control of the family business. In 1970 they began designing and creating jewellery and in 1985 the Tous bear – now the brand’s symbol – was born.
“On one of my trips, I saw a teddy bear in a shop window that brought back fond memories of my childhood. ‘Why not make one in gold?’ I thought.” – Rosa Oriol
Salvador and Rosa’s four daughters (Rosa, Alba, Laura and Marta) joined the company in the 1990s and play senior roles in the business. Alba is Chairwoman, Rosa has assumed the role of Corporate Vice President and Marta is Art Director.
Commenting on the creation of the Tous bear, Rosa Oriol said: “On one of my trips, I saw a teddy bear in a shop window that brought back fond memories of my childhood. ‘Why not make one in gold?’ I thought.
“The bear marked the start of our expansion and it’s always present in our designs. It is very special to me and I am aware that we have got to where we are thanks to the bear. The tenderness it transmits is universal.”
All Tous’s products are designed in-house with 50% of production in Spain. The company’s headquarters in Manresa, Catalonia, has production capacity for 3 million pieces a year; 30 new jewellery collections and 24 handbag collections are created annually.
Jewellery forms the core of the business, accounting for 73% of sales in all channels. According to the brand, its bestsellers are classic pieces featuring the Tous bear, which the company says represents the Tous brand values of “tenderness, fun and youthful spirit”.
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Tous operates in 53 countries and has more than 700 stores. The company posted record sales of over €466 million (US$511 million) in 2018.
“While we are very much a global brand, Asia Pacific is still a relatively untapped market for us in domestic and travel retail markets. Over the next few years we will be focusing our efforts on building our presence there and [we] will open more than ten travel retail points-of-sale in China and South Korea before the end of 2019,” Tomas added.
Tous is committed to sustainability and is a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council, which respects human rights throughout the supply chain of gold and diamonds used in jewellery, from mine to retail.
As reported, Tous said it is determined to keep craftsmen at the forefront of the jewellery business and launched its Jewellery and Artisans School in October last year.
And in doing so it is determined to continue to celebrate its bear icon and Teddy Bear Day.
