State Flag Surging In Popularity, Hard To Keep Stocked At Area Stores

(KNSI) – At Coil’s Flags and Flagpoles of St. Cloud, the Minnesota state flag was already the store’s second-best seller.

As the process of replacing the current design comes to a close, owner Tim Coil says he can’t keep it on the shelves as it enjoys a surge of popularity.

“I’ve had a great show of people coming in, and they’re not just buying one flag. Most people are buying three or four flags because they want to have inventory at home so they can still fly the old (current) Minnesota flag because they don’t like the design of the new one.”

Coil says the Tuesday revisions to the new design that removed the three stripes on the right side of the flag and replaced it with a solid light blue background were not enough to change customers’ minds. Vendors are telling Coil that they will likely stop producing the current version once the new flag becomes official.

Coil says the rush of buyers plan to give the banners out to their children as Christmas gifts with the intention that they would be preserved for years to come after we switch to the new design. Coil says he doesn’t believe the trend will slow down.

“I can see sales on this thing for quite a while, and I’m trying to judge inventory on that also because, you know, if they do quit making it, I want to make sure I have enough inventory on hand to satisfy the needs of the consumer out there.”

Some of the comments he has heard on the new flag were that it was too basic and that it should include the word Minnesota.

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