The Wedding Party Inset: Love’s young dream offers retailers the opportunity to capitilise on their big day.
Royal Wedding
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t’s been a good few years for the British Royal family. First came Kate and William’s big day which was closely followed by the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and now we are told that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be tying the proverbial knot in just a matter of months. The popular, fun-loving prince and the American actor have already made a number of public appearances since the announcement, charming the media and the public alike and building anticipation for the main event. So what does this mean for the party industry? “The success of recent Royal celebrations does suggest that the wedding will give retailers an added boost this spring with sales of British-themed bunting, balloons and party ranges,” says Tracey Cooper, Neviti’s director. “With the wedding just a few short months away, there is little time for new products to be sourced from China,” she explains, “especially with Chinese New Year taking place in February, where factories can close for anywhere up to one month.” This may mean that suppliers will be forced to reply on existing stock, potentially resulting in shortages of the most popular items such as partyware, novelties, bunting and flags. “Fortunately we have good stock levels on items in our Celebrate Britain range,” adds Cathy, “although we do not expect it to last long! A good number of high street Below: Mask-arade masks are perfect for creating an eye-catching window display, driving footfall and inviting impulse purchases.
Above: Neviti’s Celebrate Britain range. Be careful of stocking too many Royal Wedding-themed items – generic British themed items are a safer bet. Right: Creative Party’s very own Union Jack cake toppers are ideal for accenting solid colour red, white and blue product.
stores have already been in touch with us to secure their orders. My advice to retailers would be to secure your stock now. Don’t wait until April or May or you may find there is nothing left!” Also looking forward to the impending nuptials is Mask-arade, which is hoping that its much-loved Royal Face Masks will feature as prominently in the celebrations as they have with other recent major royal events. According to commercial director Ray Duffy, the company is already seeing and increased demand for its royal range, which has already been expanded to include new Prince Harry and Meghan masks. “It never fails to amaze me how the British public gets into the spirit of a royal occasion,” says Ray. “Mask-arade face masks are a natural fit for this kind of event as they are a favourite on social media, with both Instagram and Facebook full of pictures of people wearing our products.” Royal weddings have a special place in Mask-arade’s heart, as it was Kate and
There’s nothing the British like more than a good, old-fashioned Royal Wedding and the recently-announced nuptials of Prince Harry and ex-Suits actor Meghan Markle are already creating quite a stir. As the nation looks forward to Saturday 19 May, so too do retailers who are looking to capitalise on the ‘Royal Wedding Effect’. PPE put on its best hat to find out more. William’s wedding back in 2011 that really put the company on the map. “We genuinely believe that this royal wedding could be the biggest sales opportunity for any business offering our face masks since we founded the company some nine years ago,” Ray continues. “Harry and Meghan are a very popular, young and exciting couple whose marriage is bound to attract attention right around the globe.” A significant number of Meghan and Harry masks have already been produced in anticipation of trade customer orders. “All Maskarade masks are manufactured in the UK and so our ability to keep up with demand is very fast,” Ray adds. Not everyone expects Harry’s wedding to follow in the footsteps of his older brother. “Everyone loves a Royal Wedding, but we get the feeling this one will be more of a subdued affair than Wills and Kate,” muses Holly Forder, product and marketing manager at Creative Party. “Just like the couple, we expect it will have more of a casual, modern feel.” Holly goes on to point out that many retailers had leftover stock following the last Royal Wedding, so are likely to be a little more cautious on ordering this time around. “I still expect to see Union Jacks galore though!” So as the industry begins to prepare for the celebrations, forward-thinking independent retailers can take advantage of their flexibility and really clean up. Get creating those window displays – we’ve got a wedding to prepare for! JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE
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