Is this just a London thing? There a Cards Galore shops all around the West End, all selling the same sort of things, Mr Men merchandise and so on. I don't dislike them, they sort of wash over me, but I do wonder how they came to have this stanglehold.
It is the same with these London Tat shops, selling miniature phone boxes, London buses, post boxes. Quite nice really, not too tasteless, but they are just everywhere in London now, mopping up spare shop space. How did it come about? Loads of Pret a Mangers I can sort of understand, there is always an office block nearby, but surely the demand for a Mr Tickle mug is not that high?