Paisley's Houston Kiltmakers to continue global sales success
Paisley-based Houston Kiltmakers, the well-known Highland wear retailer and tartan specialist, has agreed a £170,000 funding deal with Santander Corporate Commercial to help the business continue its strong online sales growth.
Houston Kiltmakers is a fourth-generation family run business established in 1909 and remains the only shop in the world where you can see every tartan. Current owner Kenneth MacDonald is Governor and Vice Chairman of the Scottish Tartans Authority, an organisation that is the authoritative body of tartans on a worldwide basis, and has overseen Houston Kiltmakers successful expansion into overseas markets worldwide, extensively in the US. The business created the United States of America national tartan which was presented to former US President, George W Bush.
Houston Kiltmakers have invested in its e-commerce functionality and now a significant percentage of its revenue comes from domestic and international online sales. Its ‘My Tartan Design App from Houston Kiltmakers’ service allows clients to create a tartan unique to them, save it to their camera roll, e-mail it or share it with friends via Facebook and Twitter, and is an example of the innovative way that Houston Kiltmakers is growing its business and expanding its customer reach.
Kenneth MacDonald, Houston Kiltmakers, said: “We have been able to take our brand and our products to new customers worldwide, particularly in the key US market, and I’m very confident this growth will continue. We recognised early the importance of investing in our online capability, maintaining our strong focus on quality and service throughout, and this innovative approach has really helped our business to develop. We are continuing to invest in the business, including our physical presence in Paisley, and remain excited by the strength of our market proposition.”
Douglas Dunlop, Relationship Director at Santander Corporate Commercial, said: “Houston Kiltmakers are a great example of a local business that has effectively expanded overseas and continues to grow thanks to confident marketing and deep understanding of the benefits of e-commerce. We’re absolutely delighted to be working with Kenneth and the management team in making sure that the business maximises its full potential.”
