K is for Kerching! as merchandisers soak up a deluge of Ryder Cup dollars
It was only lunchtime, but already the Ryder Cup was overflowing with dedicated shoppers, buying all round them to the extent that there was no more room in the storage area for those who wanted to drop off their bags and take in a little golf — or just shop some more.
That’s where DHL come in. The international courier service are running a fast-paced production line in packing, weighing and dispatching newly bought gifts and goodies to the folks back home. You buy ‘em, we ship ‘em — it’s a partnership made in purchasing heaven.
Mugs at €12, or €15 for bone china; baseball caps in 15 colours, including shocking pink, at €30 a head; key rings, golf balls, wallets, towels, teddies — anything that could bear a logo has been stamped, stitched or carved with the Ryder Cup symbol and placed on a shelf for rapid removal.
No tightening of belts here — the leather ones on sale stretch to a button-popping 48 inches.
And for those whose budget stretches further than a commemorative tee, there are Rolex watches on sale. Worryingly, they have no price tags, but, as they say, if you have to ask...
One estimate is that the official merchandise stores are raking in €1 million per hour, although the US dollar was the currency most in evidence yesterday.
Waterford Crystal is offering the ultimate memento — a specially commissioned, hand-engraved, 35lb display bowl complete with an intricately etched scene from the K-Club.
Only 36 of them in the world, only €995 to buy, only about 20 of them left at lunch time yesterday. There were several designs to choose from — each variety strictly limited to 36 individual pieces.
The collection was two years in the planning, design and delivery, and, if the feeling of liberating yourself of a grand wasn’t thrilling enough, one of the craftsmen was on hand to tell the history of your almost unique piece.
David Boyce from Waterford city is one of the five master engravers who worked on this special order. “I sign each piece I work on and you get a certificate that confirms you have a limited edition,” he explained.
“I thought it would be mainly Americans who would go for them, but one of them was yesterday by a person living practically opposite the course. It’s nice to think they’re appreciated here in Ireland too.”
If the display bowl is too heavy for your mantelpiece, you could get a pair of Ryder Cup shot glasses from Waterford of a mere €60.
The logo may be a licence to print money but it also comes with responsibility as Brian and Mai McFeely of tie-makers, B&M Leisure, explained.
“It’s difficult to get the licence, and part of the agreement is that you have to protect the logo. If you think you know of any infringement at all, you have to report it,” he said.
B&M is the official tie supplier for the Munster and Leinster rugby squads as well as the Scottish and Welsh Rugby Unions, and will be working on national ties for participants in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, so they know the ropes — and their customers.
“We’re waiting for the corporate people to come tomorrow for sales to really get going. If you have a table of guests for lunch, you like to give them a little gift so you have somebody come over and buy 10 or 12 ties in one go,” said Brian. “It’s a lot easier than trying to buy different jumpers to fit everyone.”
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