It is not the little princess' fault if commercial calculus greets it first

Now that Britain has a brand new princess — who shares her birthday with Empress Catherine the Great of Russia — her parents and extended royal family and the Middletons are not the only ones who will be pleased at her arrival. As the British royal family is arguably that nation's largest tourist attraction and sales magnet, a new princess in its exalted ranks should make retailers thrill to the music of ringing cash registers for quite a while. After all, analysts had predicted that a little female royal baby could end up prompting £1 billion in retail sales during the course of her life, including a respectable £80 million in the next few weeks alone. That figure is considerably less than the £247 million that her big brother Prince George triggered in the immediate weeks before and after his birth on July 22, 2013 — beating market estimates by £4 million — it would still be a welcome boost for businesses in Britain.

Aprincess with many years of buying and outgrowing outfits is clearly being seen as a more long-term investment by retailers, so they should thank the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for this timely fillip. More so because although the duchess is celebrated for her style, she often wears outfits from previous years, denying both copycats and retailers from fully benefiting from 'the Kate Effect'.