Retailers fear that the UK is heading towards a bunting shortage as Britons scramble to to stock up on last minute party supplies ahead of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
According to some stockists, a major surge in sales of patriotic decorations has seen some items sell out entirely.
Retail marketplace OnBuy told The Guardian today said that the uplift in sales had seen its £4 20ft string of union jack bunting sell out, while stocks of similarly decorated table cloths, patriotic badges and fancy dress waned at an unprecedented rate.
The company’s category manager of party supplies, Tamreen Hasan, described the “staggering” rate of purchase of Jubilee paraphenalia as being “like nothing we’ve ever seen.”
She told the newspaper: “The public has gone jubilee crazy. If sales maintain their current rate then we could very well see a shortage of certain items as the celebrations get closer, with bunting right at the top of the list.”
According to the official Jubilee webpage, an impressive 2,429 public events and 2,579 parties or private events have been planned in the UK so far.
London will be the hub of this year’s Jubilee celebrations - acting host to the Queen’s birthday parade, the lighting of the principal beacon during a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign at St Paul’s Cathedral, as well as almost 300 Big Jubilee Lunches.
Next week’s festivities - taking place from 2 to 5 June - will see the Queen become the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service.
Her Majesty is expected to attend three events across the weekend, including the Trooping the Colour, the Service of Thanksgiving and the Derby at Epsom Downs.
But a Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously said that the 96-year-old’s attendance at these events may not be confirmed until the day of.
