The Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, set for April 29, 2011, has stirred up quite the buzz around London. And the town is definitely cashing in on it. Economists predicted the royal wedding would give London a business boost, and there's already a slew of products on the market that range from classy (commemorative china) to... not-so-classy (nail polish called No More Waity, Katie, and royal wedding sick bags). According to Barbara Kahn, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, there's money to be made in reference to the royal wedding, and people want to be a part of it.
The market for knockoffs of items worn by the future Princess is thriving tremendously. In fact, within 24 hours of the engagement, the Natural Sapphire Co. began offering a copy of the famous blue engagement ring. Their versions range from $550 to $1.5 million and the company has sold over 1,000 rings.
Even Middleton's style choices are generating excitement; the blue Issa dress she wore to announce her engagement hit the knockoff market in record time, and only a handful were available. One look-alike dress was produced by another company named Tesco showed up online two weeks later and sold out in one hour. Those who wish to copy Middleton's classic style may have to wait for some time before more items like this will be released again.
Some other royal wedding products include postcards, stamps, beer tab handles, condoms, stuffed bears, plates with sarcastic sayings, blankets, and posters.
Wow. Talk about weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeird. This is all a new experience for me. I suppose the "oldies" that were around when Prince Charles and Diana married know all about what goes on when there's a royal wedding coming up. I guess I just never realized how important the royals still are in today's society. It's definitely eye-opening to see all of the memorabilia that's on the market right now. I must say, however, that if I had the means to do so, I would probably buy that blue Issa dress. It is quite elegant, and I love it. She has impeccable style and class, and I think she will make a great princess. Let's hope the marriage lasts. After all, it really is romantic.
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