PARIS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Elysee Palace has made a small fortune by selling souvenirs featuring President Emmanuel Macron and other French elements in its online boutique and a pop-up shop set up recently.
In just three days, nearly 350,000 euros worth of memorabilia were sold both online and in the pop-up store, with a total of 7,320 items sold through the virtual store opened online Friday, The Guardian reported.
Sales were boosted by the opening of the pop-up shop in the Elysee's main courtyard during the weekend when more than 200,000 people took advantage of the 2018 European Heritage Days to visit the palace, The Guardian said.
Royal mugs are a time-honored tradition in Britain and the White House has sold memorabilia for decades, but it is the first time for the Elysee Palace to offer presidential mugs and key rings for sale, Reuters said.
The online boutique offers a catalogue of some 60 items, ranging from a 2-euro post card with Macron's portrait to a 24.9-euro presidential mug, and to a 250-euro 14k gold-filled bracelet printed with the national motto liberte, egalite and fraternite.
T-shirts, canvas bags, key rings, stationery and watches are also among the abundant choice of gifts in the online store. All the items are made in France.
However, the pricing of certain items might make buyers think twice, such as a 55-euro T-shirt embroidered with "president" or a 115-euro sweat shirt printed with "Francais" or "Francaise" across the front.
According to the store's website, part of profits from the sale will be used to help fund the maintenance of the 300-year-old Elysee Palace.
