Shera stuffed toys, t-shirts: Delhiites can’t have enough

After facing much criticism, Commonwealth Games mascot Shera has finally won over everyone. So much so that they cannot wait to lay their hands on him.

After facing much criticism, Commonwealth Games mascot Shera has finally won over everyone. So much so that they cannot wait to lay their hands on him.

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If sales figures can be used as a scale to measure the madness and excitement surrounding the Commonwealth Games then they have hit a home run. The merchandise sales of Games memorabilia have reached a staggering R2 crore mark.

Even though the merchandise for the Games was floated late in the market, the current popularity of the events and India winning lots of medals have made these items a hot property.

Not only Delhiites, even tourists and athletes who have come to participate in the Games are buying t-shirts, vuvuzelas, sippers and other memorabilia.

Suresh Kumar, chairman of Premier Brands Limited who are manufacturing most of the products, said, “We have earned revenues of around R2 crore. Most of our products are a hit in the market.”

The demand for Shera stuffed toys is so high that most of them have already been sold out. People aged from 5 to 70 were making a beeline at the Organizing Committee (OC) merchandising outlets to buy these toys.

The company had made around 25,000 stuffed toys to be sold in the market. The four outlets of the OC and a few retailers are asking for more Shera mementoes.

“Thanks to the grand opening ceremony and India winning medals, more and more people are not only visiting the stadiums now but they also want to take back a part of the Games with them. Shera is a very popular icon with children as well,” said an OC official on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.