· 83% of Brits will not be buying Royal Wedding souvenirs to commemorate Prince William and Kate Middleton’s marriage[1]

· Almost a quarter (22%) say that Royal Wedding souvenirs are a waste of money; one in six (16%) view them as ‘beyond tacky’[2]

· One in five Brits (22%) believe commemorative items are good for British business – but just one in ten (12%) say they are a nice memento while only 8% think they are collector’s items[2]

· Over six in ten (62%) claim to have never owned royal souvenirs while just 2% of Brits have theirs proudly out on display[3]

· Of those who will be shelling out, top purchases are: chinaware (49%), commemorative coins (38%) and tea towels (20%)[4]

· Royal wedding souvenir hunters will be spending £23 on average[5]

Eight in ten Brits (83%) won’t be buying Royal Wedding souvenirs[1] according to new research out today from InvisibleHand, the free online shopping tool. Despite expectations that Will and Kate’s wedding would spark a souvenir shopping frenzy, the majority of Brits will be shunning souvenirs with almost a quarter (22%) branding them a waste of money[2].

While previous generations may have enjoyed owning a piece of royal memorabilia and passing it down through the family, modern Brits have very different views. Over one in ten (13%) say that royal souvenirs are a complete rip off while 16% think they are ‘beyond tacky’. Just one in ten (12%) think they make a nice memento of the day, while only 8% say that souvenirs are collector’s items. Incredibly, only 1% think of royal souvenirs as a family heirloom[2].

Over six in ten people (62%) claim to have never owned royal souvenirs – 7% claim to have got rid of the souvenirs they did own. And while one in ten people (13%) hide their royal souvenirs away in the loft, just 2% have them proudly out on display[3].

Despite this lack of appetite, almost a quarter of Brits (21%) agree that Royal Wedding souvenirs are good for British business[3]. And maybe they are right as those people who will be buying commemorative items will be spending £23 on average[5]. The top items on royal souvenir hunters’ shopping lists are: chinaware such as plates and mugs (49%), commemorative coins (38%) and tea towels (20%). More niche items, such as Will and Kate face masks, which have provided a lot of laughs on social media, will only be snapped up by 2%[4].

Most popular Royal Wedding memorabilia[4]

Percentage who have/will buy[4]

1. Chinaware

49%

2. Commemorative coins

38%

3. Tea towels

20%

4. Flags / bunting

14%

5. Books / annuals

12%

6. Teddies / cuddly toys

6%

7. T-shirts

4%

8. Clocks

3%

9. William and Kate masks

2%

Source: InvisibleHand

Robin Landy, founder of InvisibleHand, says: “Despite the fact that eight in ten Brits say they won’t be snapping up royal wedding souvenirs, I suspect that in reality many more will get caught up in the occasion and will end up buying something. We all like to think we’re too cool for school, but look in people’s lofts and attics and you may find more royal memorabilia lurking than most of us would like to admit.

“Whether you are a Royal Family fanatic or someone who plans to view the event from the sidelines, if you are going to buy memorabilia it’s essential to get value for money. Shopping around online will enable you to get the best deal for your hard earned cash plus make it easier to hunt down the more quirky items that will raise a smile.”

InvisibleHand is free to download in less than a minute via the website, www.getinvisiblehand.com.