The TTC relaunched their online shop just in time for the holiday season. Cufflinks are just one of the variety of items available. (Photo from: ttcshop.ca)
By: Kylie Vaillancourt
With the holidays just around the corner, the Toronto Transit Commission relaunched its permanent online shop Monday.
The store consists of products like vintage posters, mugs, t-shirts, subway and token inspired cufflinks to its collection of official merchandise.
Research was done and a strategy was created around the merchandise and the TTC brand before the store was launched, said TTC Head of Customer Communications, Cheryn Thoun.
“We took our time to develop the merchandise with a retail and external mindset, rather than simply putting TTC logos on various products,” Thoun said.
Toronto-bases company SVS Marketing will be managing the store. This includes managing inventory, shipping products and customer service.
The shop is currently online online but could possibly expand into stores in the future.
TTC Spokesperson Kadeem Griffiths says the transit-themed merchandise website has already seen plenty of traffic.
“The most popular is the subway font mugs,” said Griffiths.
The store comes at no cost or financial risk to the TTC. Products were designed by TTC designers and are manufactured locally.
The TTC will receive a percentage of the total sales made through the shop and will publicly report the revenue generated by the shop annually.
Spacing Magazine has been selling TTC merchandise for 12 years. Creative Director and Publisher and Humber Journalism Graduate Mathew Blackhead says, “TTC products have always sold well.”
Spacing plans on expanding its line. The most popular product is the traffic buttons and magnets, having sold a total of 750,000.
People are already expressing how they feel about the relaunching of the new shop:
You can get an umbrella from the TTC shop. It’s great for waiting for the delayed street car. #toronto #ttc
— Nasty Meg Fenway (@megfenway) November 28, 2016
If the new TTC shop can get streetcar rollsigns some time in the near future as CLRVs are scrapped, I’d be forever loyal. #TTC
— Zack (@MobiusTheEagle) November 29, 2016
I got my eyes on a few posters from the #TTCshop ?https://t.co/YDtNuhGvlT
— Jasmine Chan (@jsmnchn) November 29, 2016
Media Studies student Nathaniel Samuels, says that the merchandise enhances the sense of community in the city.
“It brings everybody together… repping the city,” said Samuels.