Belleek Pottery, the Fermanagh-based company best known for its traditional chinaware, has entered the crystal market with the launch of its Belleek Living Crystal range. Caroline Madden reports.
The new collection of contemporary crystal stemware is the latest extension of the Belleek Living brand, which was launched in 2003, and which now represents 40 per cent of Belleek's worldwide sales.
"With the introduction of Belleek Living Crystal, we aim to grow our business by over €3 million over the next two years," John McGuire, group managing partner at Belleek Pottery said yesterday. "We are setting ourselves an ambitious target but with quality products and a strong, confident brand profile, we are confident of succeeding."
Belleek has invested €2.25 million in its new crystal range, and will go head-to-head with Waterford Wedgwood at the top end of the crystal market.
"Belleek Living Crystal will enable us to further penetrate the very important gift market which in Ireland and the UK is estimated to be worth over €450 million," Mr Maguire said.
Belleek, which will celebrate its 150th anniversary next year, has outsourced production of its new collection to a crystal manufacturer in the Czech Republic to compete on price. However, all design and marketing will continue to be carried out at its Fermanagh headquarters.
The Living Crystal line offers four different designs - Ice, Lines, Air and Wave - with prices ranging from €60 for two tumblers to €140 for a set of four crystal goblets, and has already been well received by consumers. "It's certainly competitively priced," said Mr Maguire.
"This product has been in stores for about eight weeks now and already it's going on wedding lists . . . Based on our research, it's important to produce these products at the right price."
Unlike its main rival Waterford Wedgwood, Belleek made a strategic decision not to draft in big names such as John Rocha and Jasper Conran to design its new crystal range, opting instead to use in-house designers.
"We felt that we would stay loyal to the Belleek brand," said Mr Maguire, adding that the brand is recognised "right across the world". Although this is Belleek's first foray into the crystal market, its sister company Galway Irish Crystal already produces a range of crystal giftware, but Mr Maguire explained that rather than competing against each other the two company's products ranges are complementary.
The Belleek Living collection is now stocked in most department stores across the country, including Debenhams, Arnotts, and the Kilkenny Design Shop, and the range will soon be available in House of Fraser in Dublin's Dundrum Shopping Centre. The company intends to continue rolling out further products to complement its existing Belleek Living range.
