Two days before the coronation of King Charles III of England, which will be held for the first time in 70 years, various souvenirs such as teacups, plates, towels, and limited edition products are gaining popularity and revitalizing the British retail market.
According to AFP on the 4th (local time), ahead of the coronation ceremony of King Charles III, British flags and decorations depicting the faces of King Charles III and his wife are hanging everywhere in London, England, while expectations are rising to the fullest. The souvenir sales business is also gaining momentum.
“I ordered about three times as many souvenirs as I normally would,” said Sador Zok, director of coronation merchandise for online souvenir retailer Cool Britannia. It is expected that the demand for souvenirs will increase ahead of the coronation ceremony, so the order volume is higher than usual.
Fortnum & Mason, a leading British tea brand, has launched the ‘Coronation Collection’ to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
In particular, ‘Coronation Darjeeling Tea’ is sold at a price of 19.95 pounds (about 33,000 won) per 200 grams, and Darjeeling is also known as the champagne of tea, meaning that it has the meaning of celebrating and commemorating the coronation. of the explanation.
Brand manager Ottilie Cunningham gave special meaning to the drink, saying, “I chose Darjeeling because there is a rumor that King Charles III drank Darjeeling with honey when he was a Crown Prince.”
◇ Coronation limited souvenir launch… Popular with both tourists and locals
Emma Bridgewater, a pottery company popular with royal connoisseurs, said it has created a range of tableware, including mugs, tea cups and coffee cups, ranging from 12 to 28 pounds (about 20,000 to 47,000 won), as coronation souvenirs.
A brand official emphasized that all products are made by hand, saying that they are expecting more sales than during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee (70th anniversary of the throne).
Ismail Badaketil, manager of the souvenir shop behind Buckingham Palace, said, “Customers who visit the store come to see a variety of royal souvenirs, and they usually spend around 15 to 20 pounds.”
The souvenir shop sells protective gloves with the royal coat of arms, paper towels and flags decorated with the Union Jack, and ‘Eternal Monarchy’ T-shirts featuring the king.
“Recently, not only tourists come to the store, but also the store clerks, office workers, and Londoners come to the store,” he added, adding that locals have increased their purchases. He went on to say that the coronation ceremony is a “big event” for the British people and emphasized that “the coronation ceremony is part of the British spirit.”
He added that many British locals are also expected to buy coronation souvenirs.
◇ British Retail Research Center predicts that related revenue will reach 2.3 trillion won
The Center for Retail Research estimates that around 6 million coins and medals minted for the coronation, millions of pounds worth of jewelry, flags, banners and 10,000 teapots will be sold.
Brits and tourists are expected to spend more than £245 million on souvenirs alone, the Center estimates, with all event-related revenues coming in at £1.4 billion.
“Many of the people who buy souvenirs are probably older people who are less affected by the cost-of-living crisis,” said Joshua Bamfield, director of CRR. “They own a home and have a pension.”
Australian Julie Whitehead (63) said, “My mother is a rabid royalist, and she has a glass cabinet full of royal items,” suggesting that she is willing to buy souvenirs this time as well.
He said, “My mother’s cabinet is full of Queen Elizabeth II’s goods, so (this time) I’m going to buy Charles III’s goods.”
Still, among collectors of royal memorabilia, there is an opinion that mementos of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away last year, are more popular than those of King Charles III.
French tourist Amelie Gerre, 40, said she “likes the Queen more” and said she would buy a mug and coaster, saying she was looking for “small, kitschy souvenirs.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.