Post date: Jul 05, 2013 5:56:1 PM
With the birth of William and Kate's baby imminent, Britain's mums and businesses are getting excited about July's royal arrival.
SAUNDERTON, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM (UK POOL) - One of the most hotly anticipated births of the year, the arrival of the first baby of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will provide a good excuse for royal celebrations.
The new third in line to the throne is expected to be born some time around mid July at St Mary's hospital in central London, the same place where both William and his younger brother Harry were born.Kate's pregnancy has been one of the most talked about topics over the last months, and not just in the press.
It has been popular amongst many fellow mums-to-be, whose little ones are also due in the same year as the royal baby.
"I always go round and say: 'When are you due, when are you due?'", says mother of two Sarah Lorenzen, a Maternally Fit instructor, who teaches a workout training programme for pregnant women.
"The girls who are due around now, we all, we have a bit of a joke about you know, you and Kate could be friends and go on play dates in Kensington Palace gardens. So they do -- there is that degree of specialness," she said.
Some of the expectant mothers at the South West London class talked about how they are planning to commemorate this special year.
"It's exciting with the little prince or princess coming. I just think it's wonderful," saidJanine East, who is expecting her second child in December.
Robin Bennett, who is pregnant with her first baby, said she will be looking out for some of the Duchess's shopping choices.
"I definitely start looking at what she's buying. It must be good if she's buying it."
And Helen Fox, whose baby will be born in the late summer, is planning to look around for any commemorative royal baby inspired clothes.
"I'm sure we'll buy something, a royal baby gift for our baby. But a lot of the stuff that we've got so far has been hand me downs from my sister so we have to wait and see how much royal stuff the baby gets," she said.
In fact, she won't be the only one trying to commemorate 2013 with a royal baby purchase.
According to a recent study by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) the royal baby will provide another great marketing opportunity for British business, one year after the Diamond Jubilee and two years after the Royal Wedding of Kate and William.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, who conducted the research, estimates that the arrival of the baby could add more than 240 million pounds to the British economy.
"Retailers have seen the royal birth as significant, possibly not as significant as the Royal Jubilee or the Royal Wedding but no doubt, they got their Union Jacks there both to show in the display rooms and also to sell to the public," Bamfield told Reuters Television.
He forecasts that 4.8 million people will splash out 62 million pounds on alcohol to wet the future monarch's head and spend an 25 million pounds on food for baby parties. Bamfield also expects another 156 million pounds to be spent on commemorative china and other collectables, toys books, DVDs and media.
"We've also talked to lots of souvenir manufacturers who've been working flat out for the last few months to ensure that the anticipated demand can be satisfied," he added.
Whilst some retailers may wait for their collections to hit the shops until after the baby is born, others have already begun to stock up on royal baby cups and plates.
A baby sleepsuit modelled on a guardsman's outfit is one of the gifts on sale at palace shops by the Royal Collection Trust, which uses all profits for the upkeep of the royal palaces.
gNappies, a company which makes reusable diapers, has come out with a limited royal baby edition. The gRegal, which is available online for around 23 British pounds, is made of purple coloured velvet fabric and its bottom is adorned by a golden "G" and a small crown.
British baby retailer Jojo Maman Bebe has also brought out its own royal baby wear collection.
"The reality is we needed something that had a feel good factor in this country. We haven't had the weather this year but we are getting a royal baby and I'm sure that everyone in the British mother and baby industry is grateful to her royal highness for turning the eyes of the world onto the UK and onto UK designed mother and baby brands," Laura Tenison, the company's founder told Reuters Television.
The boutique's royal collection, which features everything from shoes to babygrows to blankets and cuddle toys, has proved an instant hit with customers, according to Tenison.
"Since we've launched our mini collection, our very subtle royal collection, we've had huge response. In fact a couple of the line has sold out this first weekend that we've put them in our stores," she said.
Christy Clark from London, whose first baby is also due in July, has already set her eyes on a pair of blue royal baby shoes and a sleepsuit.
"You know I think these are actually really nice because they're not too over the top. They're just real cute and really soft," she said.
But it won't just be commemorative products helping to boost sales. According to Bamfield another knock-on effect of the birth will be Kate and William's own baby product purchases.
"People's buying patterns are going to try and mimic the buying patterns of the-- of Kate and William. And so we can expect people to be buying the royal bib and buying all sorts of things that are themed for, with the name of the new baby or the colour of the new baby," Bamfield suggests.
Reports that the Duchess is considering buying a Bugaboo has already seen sales for the popular Dutch prams go up, according to baby shop retailer. Shirley Thiselton.
"We have had more interest in the Bugaboo Chameleon, people are obviously commenting that Kate may have purchased one and although that hasn't been confirmed there has been interest in customers asking if this is the colour that Kate bought and we have seen a rise in sales," Thiselton said.
So it seems just as "The 'Kate effect' has already brought good fortunes to the fashion world, it looks like William and Kate's offspring will mean good news to the baby retail market, too.