Big first week for World Cup store
- Source: Global Times
- [10:32 June 18 2010]
- Comments
By Ni Dandan
A girl browses the exclusive World Cup team pins that have been such a hot seller in the only licensed store for World Cup souvenirs at the Expo Park. Photo: Ni Dandan
A store selling licensed World Cup souvenirs in the Expo Park has taken around 600,000 yuan ($87,818) in its first week of business, although its popularity has not helped boost the sales of neighboring shops in an area that has become known as a dead zone for traders in the park.
The store, which is on the basement level of the Expo Axis, opened on June 11, and plans to close once the World Cup ends on July 12.
"Daily sales have stood at 80,000 yuan ($11,709) to 100,000 yuan ($14,636)," the store's manager, Zhang Hui, told the Global Times Thursday.
Other stores located on the Expo Axis basement level have reported disappointing trade levels, as many Expo visitors are unaware of its presence. Organizers had hoped that the World Cup store would remedy this, according to Zhang, although he admitted that most of his customers so far have been Expo staff and volunteers.
"I don't feel there has been any great change to business since the World Cup store opened," the manager of a licensed Expo products store located near the World Cup store told the Global Times Thursday. Managers of other nearby stores agreed.
The most popular products at Zhang's store are limited-edition pin badges for the 32 competing teams. According to Zhang, a total of 600 pins for each team were produced globally. Of each team's pins, 500 are on sale in South Africa for $6 each, while the remaining 100 were reserved for sale in the Expo Park and are priced at 26 yuan ($3.8) each.
Zhang said that pins for England, Brazil, Italy and North Korea have sold out.
"Only five lucky people got to purchase a whole set of 32 pins," said Zhang. "Nobody else will get the chance now, as we will not be able to get any more in stock."
"I'm not purchasing only for myself," a local university student and Expo Park volunteer, who Thursday spent more than 1,500 yuan ($219) on the pins, said. "Most of the pins were ordered by my classmates." He declined to give his name.
Zhang said that the store could guarantee a continuous supply of other souvenirs, including stuffed toys and mobile phone chains featuring Zakumi, the official mascot for the 2010 World Cup.
