Pip the Strawberry, a plush toy priced at £24, has sold out online at Wimbledon 2026, mirroring last year's trend. The soft toy is not expected to return to online stock until Wednesday, according to tournament officials.
Bestsellers and Slow Movers
Introduced this year, the tennis ball plushie Bounce has also proven popular, with over a thousand units purchased online so far, said head of retail Daniel Ashmore. However, the giant Pip the Strawberry plushies, measuring nearly a metre tall and costing £500 each, have only sold three units despite promotion by world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Wimbledon's Instagram account.
Ashmore explained the challenge: "We haven't got a bag big enough, so they're not selling rapidly, and of course, this is a 10 or 12-hour commitment for many of our guests that come to the championships. So, if you're going to buy quite a few purchases, you are going to have to carry them around with you." He noted that while he didn't want Wimbledon's merchandise outlets to be "filled with characters," there might be room for "one more" in the range.
Towel Sales Surprise
Wimbledon's classic purple and green towels, manufactured by Christy, remain top sellers on-site. However, a new strawberry-hued towel is outperforming expectations online, selling at a rate of 1.2 to every green and purple towel. Ashmore admitted his team was caught off guard and is working urgently to secure more stock before the tournament ends. "Red has become, within our collection, something of an unofficial fourth colour this year," he said. "I'd say if you want to buy a towel online, and it's a strawberry towel, get it now."
Weather and Logistics
Branded baseball caps, last year's bestseller during the hottest Wimbledon on record, continue to perform well as temperatures are forecast to exceed 30°C in the second week. Umbrellas, however, are selling poorly. "Funnily enough, we're not doing as well as our buyer would like on umbrellas this year, and we didn't do so well on umbrellas last year," Ashmore joked.
Global shipping disruptions due to Middle East tensions and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz posed challenges for merchandise delivery. Ashmore noted that Wimbledon plans conservatively, adding extra time to shipping schedules to avoid delays. "We have had very few occasions that I can recall where we've had to fly something. Ordinarily, we like to ship by ship for sustainability reasons but also cost reasons as well. We add a bit of fat to the calendar to try and avoid exactly those scenarios," he said.
