Teapots, towels, tea bags: UK in coronation retail boost

Teapots, towels, tea bags: UK in coronation retail boost

More than £245 million is expected to be spent on royal souvenirs, according to some estimates
More than £245 million is expected to be spent on royal souvenirs, according to some estimates. Photo: Susannah Ireland / AFP
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel!

Commemorative plates, towels and tea bags are vying for attention in shop windows near Buckingham Palace, ready for the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years.

"We've ordered about three times more (memorabilia) than usual," Sardor Zok, a salesman in charge of coronation merchandise at online souvenir retailer Cool Britannia, told AFP.

Zok expects demand to rise as Charles III's crowning approaches on Saturday.

Elsewhere, the coronation has presented an obvious marketing opportunity.

The upmarket department store Fortnum & Mason, which supplies the royal family with its tea, is selling a special organic coronation Darjeeling for the coronation for £19.95 ($24.90) per 200 grams.

"We chose Darjeeling because we understand that King Charles drinks this with a spoonful of honey," said Ottilie Cunningham, one of the brand's managers.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!

Read also

Building 'Mad Max' vehicles for Ukraine's fighters

"We decided to only select organic tea gardens in Darjeeling due to His Majesty's passion for organic agriculture."

Ceramics company "Emma Bridgewater", popular with royal collectors, has produced a wide variety of tableware for the occasion ranging from £12 to £28 for a mug, tea or coffee cup.

All of its pieces are hand-decorated, the manufacturer says, adding that sales have started off on a high note and are expected to be better than for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee last year.

Items on sale include shopping bags and tea cups, clothing and flags
Items on sale include shopping bags and tea cups, clothing and flags. Photo: Susannah Ireland / AFP
Source: AFP

The coronation will also see sales of some six million coins and medals minted for the event, millions of pounds worth of jewellery, flags and banners as well as 10,000 teapots, according to forecasts by consultants the Centre for Retail Research.

The cost-of-living crisis will take a back seat, with Britons and tourists expected to spend more than £245 million on souvenirs alone -- and more than £1.4 billion if the wider celebrations are included, it added.

Read also

Qatar spends big to beat post-World Cup blues

'Fanatic'

"Lots of people buying souvenirs will be older people... less affected by the cost of living crisis -- they own their houses, have a pension," said CRR director Joshua Bamfield.

Souvenirs with the image of Charles's mother Queen Elizabeth II are still doing well, according to shopkeepers
Souvenirs with the image of Charles's mother Queen Elizabeth II are still doing well, according to shopkeepers. Photo: Susannah Ireland / AFP
Source: AFP

In the souvenir shops behind the palace, customers come in to browse an eclectic mix of royal memorabilia, looking to spend "£15 to £20", according to store manager Ismayil Vadakkethil.

The items include protective gloves embossed with the royal coat of arms, Union Jack decorated paper towels and streamers and a "monarchy forever" T-shirt featuring the king.

"My mother is a fanatic royalist, she's got a glass cabinet with all of these royal things," said Australian Julie Whitehead, 63.

"So I'm going to pick up the King Charles ones for her because her cabinet is full of Queen Elizabeth ones," she added.

But while King Charles items sell well, so do souvenirs featuring the monarch's late mother, who remains very popular with royal souvenir hunters.

Read also

Paris museum gives troubled NFT art scene a big showcase

"I prefer the queen," said Amélie Zerr, a 40-year-old French tourist, adding she was looking for a "small, kitschy souvenir" and had her heart set on a mug and a coaster.

The customers have changed in recent times, Vadakkethil has noticed.

"Recently I've noticed that it's not just tourists coming in. People who work next door, in the offices, the Londoners themselves, they come into the shop," he added.

For Britons, "it's a big event", and many will be experiencing a coronation for the first time, said Bamfield.

"People will be impressed by the ceremonial aspect and buy things to remember it," he predicted. "It's part of the British psyche."

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.