While everyone, from hotel chains to airlines to liquor barons, seems to be minting green on the back of inaugural Indian Grand Prix, merchandise sales seems to have tanked to almost half of usual business.
“We usually make around €100,000 out of Red Bull merchandise at every Grand Prix, but this time we would be lucky to even touch half our usual sales,” a Merchandise Manager of Red Bull team told Business Line .
The reason he quotes besides low awareness of the sport is that ‘the merchandise stalls are located behind the security gates. It's a hassle for people to cross security checks every time they want to buy merchandises.”
The tri-coloured Force India stall that had merchandise ranging from Rs 200-10,000, reported a similar trend.
“We sell five-six times more in other countries than what we have sold in India. This is the first India GP, so the awareness is low. We hope to make more money, the next time we come here,” said a Sales Assistant for Force India merchandise.
Designer wears
Asked if the rates were subsidised, she said, “What we are selling are designer wears. We have to pay the sponsors whose logos are on our jackets and caps. So they are bound to be expensive.”
Roel Theumissem, CEO, Trimands, a Netherland-based company which sells official team merchandise, has been in business for the last 17 years, having covered over 300 races. “We have done almost 50 per cent of our normal business here,” he says. Asked if the prices were subsidised keeping in mind the Indian reality, he says “No, we haven't subsidised the rates. We have standard rate across the globe.”
However one happy stall that emerged, out of the many that stood, was that of Scuderia Ferrari.
“We were worried about our sales, but the sales have been good. We have more or less met our usual average. People in India seem to love Ferrari. On an average, per GP we sell around 800 caps. Here we have already crossed 900 caps,” says an Assistant Manager of Ferrari Merchandise.
He, however, maintains that their sales have suffered on account of Indian traffic, because of which some enthusiasts reached late and headed straight to the stands.