UK retailers cash in with 'gay marriage' products
Retailers are gearing up for Britain's first civil partnerships with new “gay marriage” products.
Same sex couples can notify register offices that they want a civil partnership from today.
Asda’s range of “Mr and Mr” and “Mrs and Mrs” cards will hit stores this week, while sets of “Darling, Dearest, Queerest” embroidered towel and soaps went on sale at Superdrug on Friday.
The retailers aim to cater for couples who will take part in the first “gay marriages” later this month.
Elton John and his long-term partner David Furnish are among couples who have already voiced their intention to tie the knot.
An Asda spokesman said the store had also launched new, gold commitment rings.
“Ever since gay weddings were given the official go-ahead we have had a number of requests from customers asking if we sell gay wedding cards,” he said. “We see no reason why we can’t sell these for our gay customers.”
Superdrug has pledged to donate £1 (€1.48) from each £10 (€14.80) sale of the “His and His” and “Hers and Hers” gift sets to the Elton John Aids Foundation.
Elton said in a statement that neither he nor Furnish was personally endorsing the products.
UK Department of Trade and Industry officials estimated there would be more than 42,000 civil partnerships by 2050.
But Paul Rickard, analyst at Mintel, said the “gay marriages” would only provide retailers with a small niche market.
“If you assume there are around 1,000 of these ceremonies a year it is not a particularly large market – probably about £10m (€14.8m) per year which is not a huge opportunity,” he said.
“It is an interesting extension but I wouldn’t build a business plan around it.”
The Civil Partnership Act, which won Royal assent last November, allows same sex couples to sign an official document in front of the registrar and two witnesses.
Registration will only be available to homosexuals and not as an alternative to heterosexual marriage.
The Act does not use the term “gay marriage” but the civil partnerships have clearly been designed as close to a marriage contract as possible. Partners will also be able to dissolve the agreement in a form of “divorce”.
The Law Society warned gay couples opting for civil partnerships to seek advice on wills, pre-partnership agreements and tax planning.
Chief executive of the solicitors’ professional body, Janet Paraskeva, said: “It is important that they should take legal advice. For example entering into a civil partnership invalidates an existing will.
“It is therefore very important that both partners make a new will following registration of their civil partnership.
“If a civil partner dies without a will then the State decides how the estate will be divided, which will not necessarily be in accordance with the wishes of the deceased.”
She added: “We strongly advise people to take advice from a professionally qualified solicitor when making a will.”
Pre-partnership agreements, like prenuptial contracts for heterosexuals, will not be legally binding but could be taken into consideration by the courts if a civil partnership breaks down, she added.
“A pre-partnership agreement is thought by many to be a sensible way in which to avoid, as much as possible, the uncertainty, costs and bad feeling that may accompany the termination of a civil partnership.”
The average cost of a wedding in the UK has risen from £10,700 (€15,800) in 1998 to just under £16,000 (€23,600) in 2004, according to Mintel.
