Moses baskets are the latest products to fly off the shelves as a result of the 'Kate effect'. After Kate Middleton was seen buying a basket with her mother Carole Middleton in London, supermarket Asda reported a 57 per cent increase in online sales of the item. The Duchess of Cambridge purchased her white basket from the exclusive Blue Almonds baby boutique in London's South Kensington. Hers was rumoured to have cost £295. Asda's version comes at a snip, priced at £35.
The 'Kate effect' has been linked to fashion items in the past — ranging from fake diamond earrings to wellies. The Moses basket will no doubt be the first of many baby trends that she sparks. William and Kate's buggy is likely to be the next sell-out item. Kate has bought a pale blue Bugaboo pushchair, according to reports. The Bugaboo brand is a favourite with A-list mums including Sienna Miller, Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow.
It is thought that the expectant royal, who is around seven months pregnant, may have bought the pram in Peter Jones in Sloane Square on the same day as her trip to Blue Almonds. Excited Twitter users tweeted that they had seen the 31-year-old in the store. Retail giant Asda also predict that the sales of baby blue buggies will rise after the mum-to-be's reported revelation. While in Scotland at the beginning of April with husband Prince William, pregnant Kate revealed that they still had "a lot to do" as regards their nursery. The duke and duchess are waiting for completion of building and renovation works on their new family home, Apartment 1A of Kensington Palace. Their future royal residence is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment, estimated to be costing £1m. The four-storey home includes a nursery, staff quarters and a private walled garden. In the meantime, the couple's London base is Nottingham Cottage, a modest two bedroom abode in the palace grounds. Kensington is one of the Middleton family's preferred locations for retail therapy and is just a stone's throw from Kensington Palace. Her most recent outing was not the first time that the fashion-forward royal has been seen shopping in the area during her pregnancy.At the beginning of March, Kate was seen browsing the Seraphine maternity concession in Peter Jones on Sloane Square. In early February, she was spotted shopping for one of her style staples, coloured jeans in a Gap store in the area.
