Borobi Games mascot sales fly in the face of concerns over low tourist numbers on the Gold Coast

AS Gold Coast businesses struggle to survive during what has been dubbed the city’s “calmageddon”, Commonwealth Games bosses have issued an ill-timed pat on the back by raving about sales of the 2018 mascot, Borobi.

GAMES bosses and Minister Kate Jones have bragged about selling $3.6 million worth of Borobi toys while dismissing the concerns of local traders as over exaggerated.

The “pat on the back” couldn’t have come at worse time with many Gold Coast businesses struggling to survive during what has been dubbed the city’s “calmageddon”.

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Federal Tourism Minister Steve Ciobo has admitted he is concerned with low tourist numbers and the impact the Games is having on local businesses.

The city’s biggest chamber of commerce has issued an SOS for people to support local business, saying their members had been hurt by an overeager campaign to keep people off the roads.

Silver medallist Zoe Smith of England kisses the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games mascot Borobi after the women's 63kg weightlifting. The mascot has generated more than $3.6 million in sales. Picture: AFP/William West

Queensland Government Ministers however, are denying there is a significant problem.

While Games merchandise has flown off the shelves this week, with organisers offloading 250,000 commemorative coins for between $15 and $1250 each.

They’ve also sold 800,000 pins and badges, 55,000 commemorative programs, 45,000 T-shirts, 30,000 caps and 90,000 Borobi plush toys.

Borobis sell in three sizes — 90,000 of the mid-size $40 toy would reap $3.6 million in revenue, but trade for local businesses has not been so lucrative.

Games Minister Kate Jones said Games merchandise sales had been 50 per cent higher than anticipated, driven by Borobi-branded products.

Empty shelves at the Commonwealth Games Super Store say a lot for the popularity of mascot Borobi.

The Minister said she had “spent every day talking to retailers, shops and restaurants around the Gold Coast”, and they’d “universally” told her business had improved.

While Mr Ciobo told News Corp he was “concerned”.

“The numbers certainly are down on where I think the projections were going to be and I am not deaf to what I hear from a lot of operators who invested in these Commonwealth Games,” he said.

“They put on extra staff and they are not seeing the numbers quite there.”

GOLDOC CEO Mark Peters questioned whether the disappointment from local businesses was as widespread as the media had reported.

“The question is how many people are actually saying that,” he said.

“We deal with fact and we deal with fiction, but I can tell you the international and the interstate people and the federations believe this is a place you can run major events for a long time and that’s what this is all about.”

Peter Beattie with Games ticket holders in an empty-looking Super Store.

Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said his group’s members, which includes hundreds of businesses from Southport south past Broadbeach, had been underwhelmed by Games trading.

“It is disappointing because it was a great opportunity to showcase our region,” he said.

“The sport has been going well but the business hasn’t.

“Hopefully we can turn it around in the next few days.”

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said he didn’t believe the State Government’s transport campaign was severely impacting local businesses.

“People have just changed how they move around and it’s fairly typical of these events that they are quiet in the first few days, it’s going to be party town for the next seven days as things pick up,” he said.

He denied local businesses were hurting saying “a lot of places I’ve been having coffee and eating at have been packed”.