Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have seen Britney Spears dancing and spinning in circles on her Instagram. Now, it’s helped save a business from financial ruin. Just last week, Britney shared several clips of herself dancing with knives but reassured fans that they were fake and she had merely been inspired by Shakira’s legendary performance at this year’s VMAs.
In one of her Instagram captions, Britney gave a shout-out to the store where she got the knives—The Hand Prop Room in Los Angeles. The store, which carries over 1,000 props for films, TV, and more, has been doing business for over four decades. Their website reads, “If we don’t have it, we’ll find it. If it doesn’t exist, we’ll make it!” They’re clearly willing to go above and beyond, stating, “We have always maintained certain guiding principles: Accurate research, authenticity and our willingness to search from one end of the globe to the other to find exactly what our customers require.”
According to TMZ, the manager of The Hand Prop Store said that since Britney’s post, they have seen a significant rise in calls and online traffic as well as a 50% increase in sales—especially of prop knives. The store has been inundated with calls asking about the singer and, more specifically, the knives she’s been wielding on Instagram.
Lately, the shop has been struggling financially, as it primarily serves the entertainment industry. With the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike—and the WGA strike that’s just ended—the past few months haven’t been very lucrative. Hopefully, now that the writers’ strike has come to an end, the actors will soon get a fair deal, too, and Hollywood and the stores that depend on it can continue to thrive.
The Hand Prop Store’s manager also said that because Britney helped them keep their store afloat, they have been playing her music on-site nonstop ever since. A legend, if there ever was one.
(via TMZ, featured image: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
