Metro-related items available online and at the three Taipei Metro Souvenir shops in the city have been well-received by commuters and tourists, bringing in average revenue of about NT$20 million (US$675,000) a year for the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC), according to the company.
The TRTC said it currently sells more than 400 themed products featuring the Taipei Metro, including stationery, key chains, EasyCards and clothing, most of which at retail at reasonable prices.
With Taipei MRT being one of the main attractions in Taipei, related souvenirs have attracted a base of loyal customers and -become popular souvenirs items for scores of people, the corporation said.
Photo: Tsai Wei-chi, Taipei Times
Among the top-selling products is a 44x44cm handkerchief which is decorated with a print of the Taipei Metro system route map, together with regional specialties and landmarks in the vicinity of each station.
Priced at just NT$190 and highly practical, the handkerchief has been the No. 1 selling souvenir for several years, with about 6,000 sold every year, the company said
In response to the opening of the Luzhou to Xinzhuang MRT Line this year, the company said that the handkerchief would soon be updated, which would make it even more of a collector’s item.
Other top selling products include cat-figure key chains, MRT carriage-decorated pencils, cat- figure cell phone decorations, high-speed-train toys, and Republic of China-centennial-themed EasyCards, according to statistics from the TRTC.
Rounding out the top 10 most popular items are the Wenshan-Neihu Line train toys and easy cards decorated with a Jadeite Cabbage and Insect exhibit from the National Palace Museum, Metro Family postcards and Love Taipei key chains.
The top 10 selling items combined account for nearly one-fifth of the shops’ total sales, or about NT$4 million a year.
Translated by Stacy Hsu, Staff Writer
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