Pope Francis now a market maker?

 


His humility and relaxed style has been credited with boosting the Roman Catholic church the world over.
So it should probably come as no surprise that the popularity of Pope Francis has been reflected in a bewildering array of papal merchandise this Christmas.
Fans can buy gifts ranging from onesies to boxer shorts showing his face on the hip as the so-called ‘Francis effect’ boosts souvenir sales by 200 per cent or more.

Pope Francis duvets and hoodies for dogs are also available, along with even more incongruous offerings such as women’s thongs plus cocktail shakers, wine chillers, beer steiners and shot glasses - not omitting, of course, a range of papal coasters on which to sit them.

 

Other merchandise inspired by the new pontiff includes aprons, toiletry bags, mouse mats, iPad and Kindle sleeves, luggage tags, tea-light candles, sweatshirts, baby bodysuits, flasks and pyjamas.
And for the Catholic with almost everything, other tempting offers include Pope Francis biscuit jars, coffee trays, earrings, cuff links, wall clocks, jigsaws, dolls and purses, as well as tracksuits, water bottles, pillows, teddies, reusable shopping bags, jewellery, tie clips, diaries and picture frames.

 Other merchandise inspired by the new pontiff includes onesies, aprons and hoodies for dog

 Other papal-inspired gifts include biscuit jars, coffee trays, earrings and men's boxer shorts

The boom in Pope Francis merchandise follows the arrival of the most popular pope in decades.
Since the election of the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires in March, the Roman Catholic Church has been convulsed by what has been called ‘the Francis effect’, a wave of optimism which has seen Mass attendance and confessions reportedly increasing in Italy, Britain, Spain and the Americas as a result of his ministry.
Francis, the first Latin American pope in history, has a humble but gregarious style which contrasts with that of 86-year-old Pope Benedict XVI, his shy and intellectual Bavarian predecessor who shocked the world by relinquishing his ministry amid old age and fading health


California-based CafePress, one of the largest retailers of papal merchandise, say they have recorded a 215 per cent increase in sales over the last 10 months, while Zazzle, another retailer, saw its sales of papal merchandise soar by 150 per cent in the same period.
Sarah Segal, of CafePress, said: ‘The popularity of Pope Francis as the “People’s Pope” has translated into a wealth of products... and the impact of his actions has also reflected in notable sales spikes during significant moments of his reign.’


Who knew the Pope's ''face'' will bring a boom in business? To have his face on a g-string na wa oo :-)