Sydney retailer Opus Design is celebrating 50 years in business this year and so far 2018 has been very successful with a gia Australia award, a GALA Industry Achievement award and now the launch of its own cup collection.
Think Cups are made from borosilicate glass, which means they are durable and can withstand extreme changes in temperature. The food grade silicon lid and band are insulating and, above all, the reusable cups help to decrease the damage we are doing to our environment.
Opus founder Chris Tourgelis says he was inspired to develop the range after watching the ABC program War on Waste last year.
“This show caused a massive spike in consumer awareness about the real need to stop using disposable coffee cups,” he says.
“After the show our existing reusable cup suppliers literally ran out of stock and Think Cup was born.”
As well as the desire to create a product that would greatly benefit the environment, Tourgelis says his main aim was to create the first real ‘fashion’ reusable cup.
“Think Cups are very high quality and made in an ethical way. Our strategy is to position the brand as the category’s fashion cup. Our branding and marketing initiatives are industry leading and we want to make Think Cup the most desirable brand in the market.”
Getting the range designed and launched was a labour intensive and also a costly process, says Tourgelis. “The challenge when we launched was to gain immediate market penetration without the luxury of a trade show launch late in 2017. It was a matter of engaging some really great agents and also leveraging all our great contacts in the industry.”
While Tourgelis has been exploring the idea of exhibiting at upcoming gift fairs, for now it’s all about social media and Think Cups’ website.
“We are selling the products in our stores and online as well as in stores and cafes in every state of Australia including some really remote regions.
“We launched a limited edition Palm Springs range recently and we will be launching new colours and a new product range in summer 2018.”
So what’s next for this ambitious retailer who seems intent on taking over the world? “We have just appointed a NZ distributor and we are also talking to potential distributors in Asia, the UK and South Africa. We will eventually do trade shows overseas but for now we are looking to align with partner companies in other markets so that we can keep growing.
“I would like to see the brand being sold all over the world whilst making a positive impact on the global environment at the same time. Big goals!”
By Marion Gerritsen
