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Royal baby to give bounce to British economy

Pam Cooper from the Mask-arade mask company loads boxes of Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge masks ready for dispatch at the company works...
Pam Cooper from the Mask-arade mask company loads boxes of Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge masks ready for dispatch at the company works in Southam, England, Thursday, June 6, 2013.Martin Cleaver / AP

From sales of royal baby barf bags to tourists flocking to the Tower of London, the birth of Prince William's heir is expected to produce a bouncing baby buoy for Britain's economy.

With the prince's wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, due to give birth next month, Britons are considering how to best mark the moment. Happy occasions often boost consumer confidence, sparking a spring in the step that leads right to the shopping mall for street party snacks, summer frocks and suntan lotion.

And happy national occasions with the royal family and a new heir to the throne hit an emotional jackpot in Britain — boosting national pride along with tea, cakes and commemorative china.

"Royal fever is more intense now, actually," said Pauline Maclaran, a professor of marketing and consumer research at Royal Holloway and the co-author of "Tiaras, Tea Towels and Tourism: Consuming the British Royal Family," which will be published by the University of California Press. "At a time of crisis, when there is financial depression, people look for something to lift themselves."

Britain really could use some consumer confidence right now. The economy is so flat no one has any idea how to pick it up. It grew last quarter at the less-than-stunning rate of 0.3 percent.

But trend watchers say the royal birth is being seen as the country's latest installment of "Big Events."

First, in April 2011, there was the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, an extravaganza of horse-drawn carriages, breast-plated soldiers and white lace gowns. Then came the June 2012 Jubilee flotilla down the River Thames — a procession of some 1,000 highly decorated boats, all honoring Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne.

Within months, London hosted the 2012 Olympics, kicking it off with a flag-waving, torch-lit procession celebrating every scenic bit of this island nation. That was followed by the Paralympics.

A study issued earlier this month by UK Trade & Investment suggested the 2012 "Summer of Sport," delivered 2.5 billion pounds ($3.9 billion) in foreign direct investment resulting from business events launched during the games.

Richard Cope, director of trends at the global market research firm Mintel, says the possibilities abound for using the royal birth to economic advantage.

"These kinds of events do raise sense people's sense of pride," Cope said. "It makes them enjoy being British."

And they make people all over the world curious about kings and queens and castles. The Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and other royal-related tourist attractions bring in more than 500 million pounds ($765 million) a year from overseas tourists, and predictions are for a 3 percent increase this year.

VisitBritain estimates that culture and heritage — which include theaters, galleries, castles, stately homes and pubs — generates 4.6 billion pounds a year in total spending by overseas tourists.

The royal family are marketplace movers in a way that goes way beyond commemorative china. When the Duchess of Cambridge wore a sapphire blue wrap dress to announce her engagement, designer Daniella Helayel found herself swamped with international attention — and buyers — within minutes.

But it didn't end there. Style bloggers now hunt down what the duchess is wearing with astonishing speed. The demure black dress with a white Peter Pan collar from Topshop that she wore for a charity appeal cost 42 pounds ($65) and was available to anyone with a speedy modem. Ditto her coats, shoes and bags.

Kate has made a point of choosing brands that are both accessible and British — and retail experts expect that trend to continue with her royal offspring. New moms and dads will want not only the baby Windsor's onesie, but also the baby carriage, the rattle and the teddy bear —followed by the royal tricycle, the scooter and on.

Maclaran says it's not so much as a royal baby bounce but a steady drive toward the cash register that just keeps going as the little one grows up.

"And they're bound to have more!" she said with glee.

The royals have also done marketers a favor by exhibiting extreme tolerance in allowing the public to create stuff in their image. Unlike the International Olympic Committee, which guards its trademark interlocked rings with formidable force, Windsor Inc. pretty much lets the people poke fun at them.

The royal wedding, for example, spawned artist Lydia Keith's barf bags — an idea she carried over to the royal birth with a "Shake, Rattle & Rule" royal morning sickness sick bag, which comes in baby blue and soft pink.

Allowing jokes — and laughing along — allows the public to bond with Britain's royal family, Maclaran said.

"The irreverent thing is what makes us love them," she said.

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