Splashing the cash on cardboard cut outs of King Charles, mugs and quiche: The Coronation top sellers
Celebrations for King Charles III’s Coronation appear to have already started with Brits stocking up on nostalgic and whimsical goods to prepare them for the extra Bank holiday weekend.
Discount supermarket Lidl said sales of quiche and champagne have increased 33 per cent and 50 per cent respectively, as shoppers look to pay homage to the official dish of the coronation.
As royal fans look to raise a glass, and maybe pledge allegiance to the new King, Lidl also reported that sales in champagne were up 50 per cent and Lidl’s own brand Carpentier Champagne Brut soared 64 per cent – the fizz is priced at £13.99.
Lidl said it also sold one of its coronation mugs every five seconds on the first day of sale, along with “enough bunting to line the coronation procession route 75 times over”.
“While it’s clear that Lidl shoppers have already started getting in their celebratory essentials, there’s still ample opportunity for those who have left it until now to get what they need for the weekend’s festivities,” a Lidl GB spokesperson said.
“From picnic essentials to street party favourites, and premium produce that will add a touch of regal flair to any dinner party, Lidl customers will be able to eat like Kings and Queens, without needing a royal budget,” they added.
Coronation castles, the toy kind
It is not just food and drink that appears to be flying off the shelves, as maybe fitting with the majestic theme there has been a renewed interest in toy castles with online searches up 178 per cent.
Data by Bargain Max showed that searches for Lego castles were up 223 per cent while searches for Playmobil castles soared 3900 per cent; perhaps parents are looking to educate their children about English history.
“For most adults castle toys will always hold a certain amount of nostalgia, from building sand castles with shaped plastic buckets on the beach or spending hours and hours Christmas morning painstakingly piecing together one made out of Lego, many of us will have one or two castle shaped childhood memories,” said Dan McKay, Toy Expert at Bargain Max.
He added: “However, it’s undeniable that they’ve fallen out of favour in recent decades, perhaps due to an influx of interactive and futuristic toys that rely less on imagination.Seeing such a resurgence of interest in toy castles over the last few days does feel like a fairytale ending for the most classic of toys, and for that, we will be saying cheers King Charles.”
Your own king: for a day
Argos said searches for King Charles cardboard cut-outs on its website had risen 369 per cent over the last four weeks, taking the crown for the most searched for cardboard cut-out across the website.
The King Charles III cut-outs are outperforming other celebs, including Elvis and Marilyn Monroe as well as famous characters including Elsa from Frozen and Harry Potter
For those who want to avoid the Coronation here are some suggestions of unroyal things to do in London this weekend.