Progressive Party Europe June 2021

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Welcome to the Party Wow. What a time to join the party industry. After a year of uncertainty for all of us, it’s been so refreshing to get to know some of you and hear about how business is finally beginning to stabilise again. You’ve shared with passion all of the positive news, products, licences and campaigns you have planned. It’s also been one of the warmest welcomes I’ve ever experienced – you really are a lovely bunch.

There has of course been the slight hiccup of Boris postponing the lifting of the final stage of lockdown to midJuly, which I’m sure caused some huge headaches with Above: Progressive Party Europe’s Katie Roberts-Mason. logistics, but we’re on course for one hell of a summer party.

We’ve decided to call 2021 the year of the garden party. The weather is hotting up, limits on outside gathering numbers at least are increasing, and we’re all desperate to get together with our loved ones again. So, until that final button is pressed, the garden is most definitely where it’s at.

With non-essential retail now firmly back in business, consumer demand is slowly picking up and while footfall is taking a while to return to pre-COVID levels, it’s certainly going in the right direction. All over 18s are now being offered the vaccination, so let’s hope that helps consumer confidence continue to grow.

Feedback from suppliers over the last few weeks is that ordering of summer lines is strong, so let’s get those indies ready for the summer party of all parties.

A new chink of light in the COVID tunnel over the last few weeks is that weddings are now back, with the guest number restrictions removed completely.

This should provide a real boost to sales of not only wedding related product, but also for stag and hen party lines too. We’ve chatted to some of you about the impending return of the group party later in the issue, and there are some brilliant new launches ready and waiting.

You’ve also got some great new licensed dress up and partyware collections at the ready for when we get the green light. Having all spent much of the last year consuming far more screen time than is probably healthy, both new and evergreen brands have become stronger, and themed birthday bashes and parties are set for a boost. There is also a build up of cinema releases waiting to roll out to provide a further lift to the licensed sector of which I can see at the moment, is seeing some change in stakes…

And of course we can all now gear up for Halloween and Christmas launches with cautious confidence, and catch up on all of the missed opportunities from 2020.

However, it wouldn’t be 2021 if there wasn’t a fairly big issue facing the industry – the world is really testing our metal at the moment. Amid the excitement of restrictions lifting, ordering increasing and confidence returning, suppliers are having to overcome the global shipping crisis. Prices for shipping goods from Asia is skyrocketing at the moment and delays are increasingly causing problems in the supply chain.

We’ve checked-in with some key execs over the coming pages to find out how they are dealing with the crisis and the effect it is having on their business and customer service, along with how the new post-Brexit rules are now bedding in.

If I haven’t yet virtually met you while working on this issue, then I look forward to doing so over the coming months. Maybe we’ll even get to see some real faces in the not too distant future… do get in touch with any news, comment and feedback you may have, we’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, enjoy that garden party – you all deserve it.

@Prog_Party_Eu

Katie Roberts-Mason - Editor Rob Willis - Publishing Director

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CONTENTS

What’s inside: JUNE 2021 NEWS

The latest happenings from the party trade.

LETTER FROM AMERICA Ed Avis

EBPC

Sustainability Matters

PURVEYING HAPPINESS

Exclusive Interview with Eighty80

THE FREIGHT DEBATE

Discussing the issue

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THE LICENSING LOWDOWN INNOVATION FOR THE BALLOON NATION GROUP PARTYING

With the rules, of course…

DOWN WITH THE KIDS The latest kids stuff

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NEWS PAGE

NEWS UPDATE Morrisons’ revitalised Partyshop range exceeds sales expectations Morrisons’ relaunched its party range in April with the objective of offering new and exciting on-trend products to create a non-stop party shop for all occasions.

Club Green has been a key partner in delivering the new ranges, supplying the grocer with premium quality party products including milestone balloons, candles, cake toppers, and party backdrops.

After seven weeks, product sales have exceeded all expectations, and validated Morrisons’ decision to revitalise its instore range.

Michele Gaudelli, commercial director of Club Green, commented: “We are delighted to have been part of this very exciting project, helping Morrisons’ transform their party offering to now become a go to place

for all party occasions. A big thank you to all our team and the fantastic team at Below: Club Green has been a key partner in delivering the new ranges.

Smiffys' Halloween orders a sign of a big season in 2021?

RH Smith & Sons (Smiffys) shares optimism as Halloween 2021 order books and interest levels spike previous years.

In a statement from Elliott Peckett, director at Smiffys, the company said: "It's been amazing to see all our friends and customers re-open their doors in the past few weeks and we’ve loved getting back on the road to visit.

"The positivity and excitement around re-opening and hope for the summer has been the tonic we’ve all needed after the past year. Whilst we have all been busy preparing for upcoming summer parties, reunion celebrations and festival season it seems many of our independent retailers are setting their sights on events later in the year.

"Smiffys is delighted to announce that its independent retailer Halloween pre-orders have doubled that of 2020 YTD, and have already exceeded pre-COVID 2019 YTD. This reflects the incredibly positive outlook that our retail customers have for Halloween this year, as well as the success that our virtual shows that we undertook with customers in February and March and our amazing sales teams. We thank all of our valued retail customers for their ongoing support through a very difficult time and here is to a fantastic Halloween 2021.”

"We may have missed out on a Saturday Halloween in 2020, but with the event falling on a Sunday this year our retailers are preparing for a full weekend of celebrations.

As with most events this year, we are expecting our customers to party twice as hard after so long stuck at home. We’ve got everything crossed that this Halloween will be full of all the freakish fun and creepy costumes we’re used to, and that our favourite time of year will be back with a bang."

Morrisons who worked tirelessly (during difficult times within the shipping world) to make this launch a real success.

“Our team pulled out all the stops to ensure that Morrisons launched with every single product committed. We were not going to let a vessel blocking the Suez canal get in the way of making this a success and launch on time with 100% product availability. The new partyshops look amazing and our product sales have been fantastic.

Club Green is continuing to work closely with the Morrisons team to evolve its party offering for all events and seasons, to ensure it remains current and on trend. Michele continued: “Our focus is now on AW21 and making sure this is another success.”

Rubies says hello to summer A new marketing initiative from Rubies has been launched to optimise every second of fun and sun over the coming months, featuring new online content and competitions for all ages.

As we begin to return to normality, Rubies is encouraging consumers to make up for lost time with friends and family or engage little ones with its new online summer camp – Camp Kindness – as the company reminds us there is #everyexcusetoparty.

Consumers can make the most of summer with Rubies’ new releases featuring officially licensed costumer from a wide range of new media for all ages. Stocked at retailers including Amazon and Smyths Toys, the new additions range from the deadly assassins of Marvel’s Black Widow cinematic release, to Space Jam: A New Legacy kit.

Mike O’Connell, coo, commented: “We can’t wait to launch our new Hello Summer campaign this July, as it’s understandably a very exciting time in people’s lives as the world opens up again and people start to celebrate with those closest to them.

“Rubies is synonymous with unforgettable party experiences and as an industry leader, we act as a positive role model to our audience who wear our costumes. Kindness, friendship and togetherness are imperative to our company values and ethos and we want to encourage these amongst our audience, with the introduction of our virtual summer camp.”

Rubiesworld.com will be the home of Camp Kindness. The new site will focus on celebrating every day acts of kindness with a competition encouraging visitors to submit good deeds and acts of kindness they’ve witnessed and vote for their favourite.

The winner will be announced on 22 August and will receive the ‘ultimate party bundle’ from Rubies, allowing them to throw a character themed party.

At the heart of the campaign is a desire to have fun and celebrate with loved ones, something Rubies recognises is fundamental to enjoying the summer.

Below: The Hello Summer campaign features new online content and competitions.

Below: Smiffys’ Halloween order have already exceeded pre-COVID 2019 YTD.

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PARTY NEWS

Jazwares signs with Marvel for allnew costume collections

Jazwares has entered a multi-year deal with Marvel to produce an all-new line of costumes and costume accessories.

Set to hit retailers in North America in 2022, this new line will include officially licensed costumes, accessories and pet costumes from across the Marvel Universe films, TV series, and comic books. This announcement comes as Jazwares expands its offerings into the costume segment, with additional licences

expected in the months to come.

With Jazwares’ Marvel costume line, fans of all ages can transform into their favourite super heroes including characters from classic Marvel properties, Marvel’s TV and film roster, Deadpool, Spider-Man, X-Men and more. The line will include costumes for kids and adults, and even pets in a range of sizes.

“Marvel has been a defining force in the entertainment and comic landscape for decades,

and we are ready to take play to a whole new level by helping fans transform into their favourite signature Super Hero looks that are perfect for Halloween, Cosplay, or everyday fun,” said Judd Zebersky, ceo, Jazwares. “We are thrilled to be expanding our business, and ready to bring Jazwares’ iconic innovation, value and quality to the costume category.”

The new Marvel costumes collection joins Jazwares’ portfolio of iconic pop culture

Meri Meri appoints new ceo to lead phase of growth US children’s party and lifestyle brand, Meri Meri, has named Kelly Lees as its new ceo.

Since joining the business over a year ago as chief marketing officer, Lees has grown the direct-to-consumer business more than 140% while continuing to strengthen the wholesale distribution across 69 countries in over 5,000 retailers.

Based in London, Lees will be responsible for overseeing the US and UK markets, reporting to founder and president, Meredithe Stuart-Smith.

With over two decades of experience, Lees is an omni-channel strategist and digital marketing leader who has held previous executive positions at Dr Martens, Tech Will Save Us and Jack Wills. She has an impressive track record in expanding wholesale brands to digital channels and growing direct-to-consumer business operations on a global scale.

Kelly commented: “My first priorities are to ensure that our online experience continues to drive high repeat purchase and engagement, and that our wholesale customers are fully stocked for peak season.

brands including Pokémon, Fortnite, Halo, All Elite Wrestling, Roblox, as well as collectibles properties Domez and Zteki.

Above: Jazwares ceo Judd Zebersky.

Qualatex launches virtual Fundamentals training course

Right: Lees has grown the B2C business by 140% over the year.

“Online sales of celebration products are already up 150% year-over-year and our new reusable bamboo range and fully compostable eco party ranges are setting the trend in sustainable partyware.

Customers were drawn to our products during COVID as a means to bring some fun into their homes, so as we enter the next “roaring 20’s”, the opportunities to scale the Meri Meri brand are beyond exciting.”

Meri Meri founder Meredithe StuartSmith continues in her role as president and creative director, leading the product design and production team from Cheltenham, UK. She added: “In the ever-changing world of retail we are pleased to have someone with Kelly’s digital and marketing background to help take the business into a new, more relevant, direction.

“I look forward to working with Kelly to build the brand and ensure that we maintain the core DNA of Meri Meri.”

Grabo signs In the Night Garden Grabo Balloons has signed a deal to create a range of balloons based on evergreen preschool favourite, In the Night Garden.

The initial collection includes a 43” Foil Big Shape of favourite character, Iggle Piggle, with his signature red blanket and an 18” round foil where he is joined by Upsy Daisy, Macca Pacca and the Tombliboos.

The new brand joins Grabo’s extensive licensed offering for children, which includes Trolls, Hello Kitty, LOL Surprise, Peppa Pig, Bing, Ricky Zoom, PJ Masks, Hey Duggee and more.

The team at Pioneer Europe has developed a new virtual version of its iconic course for balloon professionals.

Offering the perfect introduction to the world of balloons, Qualatex Fundamentals training has been a go-to introductory course for balloon professionals for many years. With face-to-face training limited by the pandemic, but new entrants to the industry still increasing, it became clear that a new approach was needed to meet customer demand.

The new virtual version of the course is delivered over two half day sessions via Zoom, and leading instructor Luc Bertrand CBA, supported by members of the Qualatex team, has already taken the first two groups through all the basics, to great acclaim.

“We are so pleased to be able to successfully deliver this course online. We have already seen that it offers delegates the opportunity to join wherever they are based, whatever their current circumstances,” said marketing project manager, Rozane Barnard.

“Customer reaction has been really positive, with attendees commenting both on how much they’d learnt and how much they enjoyed the experience.

“Places for the next virtual course in July sold out in record time, but we are adding lots more virtual and face-to-face Fundamentals course dates for the rest of the year, so anyone interested in taking the class should visit the education tab on www.qualatexeurope. com to see latest availability.”

Below: The company has diversified its training courses to comply with lockdown restrictions.

Left: The 43” Iggle Piggle is sure to be a hit at children’s parties

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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PARTY NEWS

Party City reports Q1 results and offers Q2 business outlook Party City has announced its financial results for the quarter ended 31 March, 2021, with total sales increasing 3.1% versus the prior year, comparable sales increasing 35.9% versus prior year and 0.4% versus Q1 of 2019. Its cash position from operations improved $25.2 million versus Q1 2020.

Brad Weston, ceo of Party City, commented: “We delivered continued strong core category performance and better than expected results in seasonal

categories in the first quarter, fuelling top and bottom line performance that exceeded expectations.

"Despite operating in a pandemic impacted environment with fewer in-person celebrations, brand comparable sales increased 0.4% versus 2019. While social gatherings were suppressed for a significant portion of the quarter, we were very encouraged by first quarter results and sales momentum which continued into April.

Importantly, we made good progress advancing our strategic building blocks that are improving our relevancy as we continue to inspire joy by making it easy to create unforgettable memories.”

Brad added: “As we look to the second quarter, we are confident in our overall positioning heading into the summer and graduation season.

We are focused on the right priorities to fortify our industry

follows a little vampire with a big heart through adventures in the city of Nocturnia.

Aimed at seven to nine year olds there are currently seven books in the series and the highly versatile character of Amelia Fang works equally well with World Book Day and Halloween ranges.

Tracey Devine-Tyley, head of licensing and portfolio EMEA, commented: “We understand how important reading is to children as it helps develop their minds and imaginations and we strive to support this through any of the licences we hold which celebrate reading.

“Amelia Fang is a fantastic licence for us to acquire as it is a beloved book series, with a strong and growing group of fans consisting of both children and parents.”

Laura Ellen Anderson, creator of Amelia Fang, added: “I'm so excited to see Rubies

bring the Amelia Fang costume to life. It's wonderful to know that my fans and readers will be able to easily access this costume which can be worn for events such as World Book Day and Halloween, or just for fun.”

The costumes will be available to order early next year on www.rubiesuk.com.

Above: Rubies’ new range will feature Amelia Fang and her signature spooky outfits.

Amscan appoints group sustainability manager Raluca Runcianu has joined Amscan to lead the sustainability programme across all areas of the business.

In one of the first appointments of its kind in the industry, Raluca will oversee the sustainability programme at Amscan across party, foil balloons, latex balloons and costumes.

The new role will take a 360 degree approach, covering product, packaging, manufacturing bases, supply chains and compliance. Raluca will be collaborating with colleagues Above: Amscan’s new sustainability manager, Raluca Runcianu. throughout Amscan's

global organisation, as well as external partners to deliver and develop practical solutions to ensure the company progresses sustainable initiatives throughout its business.

Raluca is passionate about issues surrounding sustainability and looks forward to: "Steering the Amscan business towards adapting where necessary, in order to meet the challenges of the future and ensure sustainable thinking becomes part of the immediate Amscan Group culture."

Lisa Norris, commercial director UK, Amscan, commented: "At Amscan, we are excited to fulfil this role and the opportunity to continue to be at the forefront of making change to our portfolio, based on the demands for us all to be more sustainable.

"It's important for us all to be passionate and responsible in leading the change, and this will help us in continuing to do so."

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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Above: Q1 sales for the retailer were up 35.9% YOY.

Cazaar expands into Europe

Rubies signs Amelia Fang Rubies has announced another addition to its expanding licensed portfolio with quirky gothic children’s book character from author and illustrator, Laura Ellen Anderson Rubies’ new costumes will feature Amelia Fang, the lead character, and her signature spooky outfits in a variety of sizes. The company will design, market, manufacture and distribute the range in the UK next year.

The fan-favourite book series adds to Rubies’ extensive list of official licences, with everything from the superheroes of Marvel and DC to kids favourites with Dennis the Menace and Horrid Henry.

The Amelia Fang book series, (published by Farshore/ HarperCollins UK) has sold over 380,000 copies in the UK, and has been translated into 24 languages worldwide. It

leadership and are poised to capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead as life begins to return to normal and celebrations gradually resume.”

Cazaar.co.uk, the UKs newest novelty marketplace platform, has announced its expansion into multiple European territories.

Alongside the English website, Cazaar is now offered in German, Spanish, Italian and French, under their respective domains, meaning sellers on the platform can benefit from access to the additional markets and expand sales.

George Nesnas, director at Cazaar, said: "We have had a team of developers working on the site throughout most of the lockdown, after Brexit and with the pandemic raging, we decided to hold fire on the EU side of things.

"Now things are picking up and regulations are getting easier to manoeuvre. It is a real relief to finally be trading in Europe.

New sellers on our platform can benefit from having their entire catalogues integrated and marketed across five markets. We also have regular language specific API feeds going into Google Shopping."

Cazaar is actively looking for more sellers in the toys and games space, as well as any other products which fits within its ethos: 'The marketplace for all things fun.'

Cazaar handles all of the listing optimisation and marketing to enable sellers on the platform to concentrate on dispatching orders.

Below: The marketplace is now available in Germany, Italy, France and Spain, as well as the UK.

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UK: Freephone 0800 590 599 / sales@smiffys.com

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Export Sales: +44 1427 619 799 / export@smiffys.com

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PARTY NEWS

Smiffys signs for new Disney Descendants range Dress up and party supplier Smiffys has signed a new deal with Disney to manufacture official costumes, wigs and accessories for the Descendants franchise.

The children of famous and fearsome Disney villains have become a firm favourite with fans across the globe and is now a hugely popular series streaming on Disney+.

Fans can soon bring their favourite Disney Descendants characters to life with Smiffys licensed costumes for Mal, Evie, Uma and Audry launching towards the end of 2021.

The collection will consist

of jumpsuits, faux leather jackets and colourful fashion wigs in the styles as seen in the show.

Dominique Peckett, director at Smiffys, said: "We are delighted to be announcing this partnership.

Disney Descendants has wide appeal from toy specialists to fashion retail and brings with it fresh thinking in terms of design making it perfect for year-round sales."

Smiffys' Disney Descendants collection will be available in the following territories: UK, Germany, France, Benelux, Netherlands, Italy, Iberia,

Nordics, Central & Eastern Europe, MENA, Turkey, Israel, Greece and South Africa.

Below: Smiffys director, Dominique Peckett.

Above: Partyware remains very much part of IG Design Group’s Celebrations business.

Disguise signs rights for BBC Studios' Bluey

Bluey reached 16 million total views across Disney Channel and Disney Junior in Q4 2019.

“Bluey explores the important themes of Disguise Inc., the Halloween family life, parenting costume division of leading and imaginative play. toy and consumer products It has a huge fan base manufacturer, JAKKS Pacific, of preschoolers and has secured US rights for parents that will be the hit children’s animated thrilled with our new television program Bluey, line of Bluey costumes.” produced by multi Emmy Above: The new Bluey line will debut as a first-tosaid Tara Hefter, award-winning Ludo Studio. market launch at Walmart in the US this autumn. executive vice president The division will design, and general manager of Disguise, Inc. market, manufacture and distribute “Our new partnership with BBC Studios costumes and accessories for Bluey, with has created some exciting new additions to the new line debuting as a first-to-market our 2021 line. We expect to see a positive launch at Walmart in the US this autumn. reaction from fans and at retail this fall.”

Bluey is an Australian animation series “Bluey is our fastest growing show in the US that follows a six year-old Blue Heeler dog, and we’re looking forward to this meaningful who loves to play and turns everyday family partnership with Disguise that will bring life into extraordinary adventures. Aimed the Bluey characters to life with their high at preschool children and their parents, quality costumes and accessories,” said Suzy the series champions the importance of Raia, vice president of consumer products unstructured play for enhancing children’s and business development, BBC Studios. creativity and helping to develop their “Bluey fans will now have the chance mental, physical and emotional resilience. to dress up this Halloween and be a part Since its launch in the US in autumn 2019, of this sweet Blue Heeler family.”

MorphCostumes sees green shoots of recovery in the costume industry As restrictions in the UK continue to ease, MorphCostumes has reported a slow and steady increase in sales, indicating a brighter future for the party industry.

With non-essential retail back into the swing of trading and social restrictions gradually lifting, sales at MorphCostumes have also begun to recover, with small increases each week.

Fraser Smeaton, chief executive, MorphCostumes said: "We're seeing sales pick up slowly and steadily. If you compare to March/April, we're stepping up. Not huge amounts, but consistently

around 3 or 4% each week. It's impossible to prove, but you would hope that's a sign of confidence and demand and events coming back."

He warned a full return to normality needs to be in place, before the industry can fully recover.

"We need to see festivals and nightclubs and parties come back before we can get demand back to where it was. But there are now green shoots of recovery, which bodes well for the future.”

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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Partyware cited for further development at IG Design Group

IG Design Group, the AIM-listed business, which includes partyware as part of its Celebrations portfolio, has good reason to party, with group turnover having grown by an impressive 40% in its last financial year (to 31 March 2021) taking it to $873.2 million (up from $624.3 million in 2020).

While this increase was driven primarily by the full year effect of its timely acquisition of craft and creative business CSS, the group’s Celebrations sales were significantly up.

Celebrations accounted for 60% of the group’s turnover, ($521.6 million), up on the $469.3million it achieved the year previous, with partyware very much part of this.

“It was interesting that early in lockdown there was an absolute surge in demand for partyware as people adjusted to celebrating at home,” said Paul Fineman, ceo of IG Design Group, which supplies a strong core of leading retailers worldwide with own brand collections as well as some branded ranges.

Paul confirmed that one of the group’s growth ambitions is to extend its offering “in existing and adjacent categories including party, home accessories, gift, cards, craft & creative play and toys.”

Its sales of licensed merchandise (which includes partyware) increased significantly, generating sales of $104 million (almost double that of the year previous), accounting for 12% of turnover.

“Licensing is absolutely an area of growth for us,” confirmed Paul. “The last year saw the larger retailers very much back the perennials so we sold greater volumes across fewer licences with Disney, Star Wars and Peppa Pig performing strongly in the UK while sports and art licences also appealed in the US.” The group is on an ambitious growth path, with acquisitions very much on the agenda, but these are likely to be of sizeable companies.

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sales@boland.eu

+31(0)172 447556

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PARTY NEWS

Gemar launches in the UK Grant Gilmour, sales and marketing manager for the UK and Ireland, is bringing the global brand to the UK for the first time.

Despite operating as a global business, until now Italian-based balloon manufacturer, Gemar, has not supplied its products to the UK. But that's all about to change as Grant Gilmour readies the UK launch for the brand.

The 'Italian Balloon' range features over 100 different

shapes, sizes, colours and designs of latex balloons, and Grant, who has been working in the balloon and party industry for four years, has high hopes for the new launch: "I aim to make Gemar the leading brand of latex balloons in the UK, a real go-to company for both decorators and retail professionals."

He continued: "We have already had a wonderful start, everyone I've spoken to has

Morris Costumes acquired

by Oriental Trading Company NCA Member Morris Costumes is entering a new stage as the main components of the company - including its wholesale business and the HalloweenExpress.com website - have been sold to Oriental Trading Company.

Morris’ retail Halloween stores were not part of the transaction.

“This business has been in our family for 56 years, and my experience is that when people don’t have an exit plan or a longterm strategy for their business, it can lead to disaster,” commented Scott Morris, the company’s co-owner with his sister, Terri Bate.

“My goal was to have a long-term strategy about where the business could go.”

Becoming part of Oriental Trading, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, will give Morris Costumes a strong foundation for future growth, Scott said.

Morris Costumes will continue to develop its own products – such as the Halloween décor and animatronics the company is known for – and Scott and the rest of the company’s staff will remain.

Chris Merritt, strategic acquisition manager for Oriental Trading, explained: “Scott has a great business and we can help him in certain areas. We’re investing in IT and leveraging our supply chain to help them grow. But we feel like we’re buying a good business and don’t have any specific plans to change it now.”

Below: Morris Costumes has been run by the same family for 56 years.

been delighted with the sheer quality of Gemar balloons, , the innovative colours and designs, loving family values, and of course the price point."

The UK arm of the business will be working with balloon artists, influencers, retail professionals and companies of all shapes and sizes. Anyone who would like to discuss their needs further with Grant, is invited to email him at balloons@ gemar.it.

Above : Gemar UK’s sales and marketing manager, Grant Gilmour.

Party industry reacts to Queen's Platinum Jubilee plans The industry is preparing for a welcome return to partying in the UK, as Buckingham Palace announces a four-day celebration for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee next June.

Plans have been announced for the UK's celebration of the milestone of the Queen's 70-year reign from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June, 2022. Events will include an extra Bank Holiday, Trooping the Colour, a Service of Thanksgiving, a Platinum Party in the Palace concert, and on the Sunday will see communities around the UK taking part in the Big Jubilee Lunch.

The celebrations provide a huge opportunity for the party industry and if previous Jubilees are anything to go by, it will provide a strong sales opportunity.

Elliott Peckett, director of Smiffys, commented: "The 2012 Jubilee was very good for Smiffys and our retail customers. Sales for the 75th VE Celebrations were surprisingly strong despite being in full lockdown. We are very confident the public will really get behind this 4-day weekend and have the mother of all street parties, which is an amazing opportunity for fancy dress and party retailers."

Fran Hales, head of content and marketing, Rubies Masquerade Co UK and Bristol Novelty, added: "The event itself will be an amazing time to celebrate, with the inevitable street parties, gatherings and merriment.

"New products are always in production to support a strong

Above: The industry is already preparing for the street party.

core line of classic ranges, such as our Mask-arade Queen masks and a large amount of Union Jack items, with everything from bunting to hats.

These bring together classic, British motifs with our signature high-quality products."

Jennifer Wilson, Amscan head of marketing and design, explained: "We’ve been working on our new ranges for the Platinum Jubilee since early spring and are absolutely thrilled that this 4-day extravaganza will provide lots of opportunity for people to celebrate."

Retailers are also seeing ranges coming through in preparation.

But there is a new trend for this celebration, as Nina Bajaj, managing director, Partyrama told us: "Of course it is centred around the Union Jack and there will be plenty of the good old Red, White and Blue on offer, but we have started to see a trend towards a more understated and classy style. Think more of a Tea Party than a Street Party.”

Boland moves to new state of the art HQ As part of its plan for future growth, Boland has relocated to a new 14 metre high location in Bleiswijk, combining a 1000m2 office, with 45 work stations; a 1000m2 showroom, showcasing its 5000 product portfolio; and a 15000m2 distribution centre with space for 26,000 pallets.

The move came following the need for more storage, as well as a desire to work more efficiently with all departments under one roof.

Boland has focussed on sustainability.

The HQ doesn't use gas, and will soon have solar panels. The distribution centre works

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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with voice picking and order picking trucks work on induction.

The location is easily accessible due to its central location near a motorway.

Robert Boland, ceo, said: "We are very happy with and really proud of our new premises and are ready for the future."

JUNE 2021 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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COLUMNIST

There’s mixed feelings among retailers as the US begins to return to normality, as Ed Avis – the executive director of the National Costumers Association – reveals in his latest column.

Right: Ed Avis is the executive director of the National Costumers Association. Contact him at executivedirector@costumers.org.

US costumers cautiously optimistic about Halloween

H

alloween is a giant business driver for costume shops, but the pandemic put a serious dent in sales in 2020. Even though Halloween fell on a Saturday, which typically means exceptionally good Halloween trade, COVID kept too many customers away. What does 2021 bring? That’s a question we at the National Costumers Association (NCA) are trying to answer.

I recently spoke with Larry Dockter, an NCA member and co-owner of Broadway Costumes & Theatrical Supply in Sacramento, California. He has a pretty good feeling about his business in the upcoming autumn season.

“I think Halloween will be back this year,” he told me. “Maybe not quite like it was in 2019, but I think a lot of products will be going off the shelves.”

However, Dockter is somewhat rare among costume business owners this year. According to an NCA survey that went out in early May, about half of dress up suppliers have not yet ordered any new costumes or other products this year. Only about 10% are in Dockter’s category, having ordered the same or more product. The remaining 40% have ordered about half as much as in a normal year.

Despite those early ordering statistics, overall the respondents to the survey are cautiously optimistic about 2021.

23% think it will be the same or better than an average year, and 52% expect it to be below average but still OK. Only about a quarter think the year will turn out substantially below average.

“I think there’s been a slight relaxing of people’s nerves,” Dockter says. “They’re

starting to come out more. They’re thinking, ‘I’ve been in hiding long enough.’”

In 2020, the NCA sponsored the Help Halloween Happen campaign, a programme designed to help our members generate Halloween business. It included stickers they could hand out to children, custom posters to promote Halloweenrelated events in their local area, and a handbook of safe Halloween activities that they could share with their communities.

We’ll be doing another Help Halloween Happen campaign this year. The pandemic fears have greatly lessened, but we want to make sure costume shops get as much business as possible, and any extra oomph we can give will be appreciated.

Halloween falls on Sunday this year, which is not quite as good as Saturday, but it still allows for extra partying.

Our survey last month also involved dress up suppliers, and they revealed that they are decidedly more optimistic than retailers. 37% of vendors who responded to the survey said that 2021 will be an aboveaverage year, and an equal number said it will be about the same as an average year.

Just 26% said it will be below average.

And that supplier optimism has been borne out by the orders they’ve received.

36% said they’ve received the same or more orders than in previous years, and about that same number said they’ve received at least half the normal quantity of orders. The remaining 28% said orders are less than half of a normal year.

Let’s hope that what the vendors have experienced so far this year continues as Halloween approaches, and gets even better. And when those costumes hit retailers’ shelves, let’s hope they don’t stay there long.

For Dockter, who has seen an uptick in customer traffic in the last few weeks, normalcy seems within grasp: “We’re seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel.”

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COLUMNIST

Suteesh Chumber, director general, European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC) discusses the need to create more sustainable business practices to limit the industry’s impact on the environment, comply with regulations, and meet consumer demand for more eco-friendly offerings.

Party industry: Leading the way for a sustainable future OUR PLANET IN DANGER There is clear, measured evidence that the earth’s climate is changing further and faster than it ever has before.

Our weather patterns are getting less predictable, with serious repercussions all over the world: some places are becoming warmer, resulting in melting ice caps, and rising sea levels, whereas others experience prolonged draughts, or excessive rainfall and floods.

The impact of these changes could be devastating on numerous levels. Many habitats and eco-systems could cease to exist, and with them we will lose the animals and plants which call them home. There will also be an impact on our daily lives and businesses: as climate directly affects crops, it will become increasingly difficult to get hold of natural materials like latex and cotton.

The good news, however, is that we can still make a difference if we act now. This is not just beneficial for the environment, but business too.

We know that today’s climate crisis is caused by a change in the balance of different gasses in our atmosphere, which are produced by a range of industries. To make things simpler, however, they are all expressed as their equivalent in carbon dioxide, which is why so many are aiming to reduce their “carbon footprint”, or even become “carbon neutral.”

SUSTAINABILITY AND THE PARTY INDUSTRY Views on sustainability are changing rapidly, both in Europe and worldwide.

New laws within the EU Parliament and the Commission are paving the way for change which is having an impact globally, while data analysis Right: Suteesh says a more environmentally-conscious society doesn’t have to be a boring one - we can all continue celebrating sustainably

by the European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC) shows consumers are demanding bolder solutions.

Many activists call for a complete ban on single use products, particularly plastic or non-recyclable ones. Of course, almost anything promoted by the party industry can be considered a luxury item, bringing the spotlight even more firmly on us.

However, it is impossible to imagine a world without parties and gatherings.

As humans, social connection results in a psychology that is essential to our health, and such needs have become more evident than ever as the pandemic continues. But even in a world where social distancing quickly became the norm, parties and gatherings never ceased to exist.

Instead, they reinvented themselves.

In reality, today’s pandemic has changed how consumers themselves view the environment and it is our responsibility, as an industry, to prove that a more environmentallyconscious society doesn’t have to be a boring one - we can all continue celebrating sustainably.

LEADING THE WAY WITH INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS The EBPC has taken a leading role in helping to influence this rapidly changing landscape. For the past two years, we have been heading a special sustainability project group and steering the industry towards best practices.

A mindset shift has seen perceptions slowly change across the industry. We are all becoming conscious of our carbon footprints, and the possibilities of reusing and recycling are front of mind.

Sustainability has settled at the forefront of business planning and as such, creative systems, like renting or buying back textiles, have become a way to relieve the pressure on the environment and the supply chain.

Similarly, our data analysis has revealed a huge change in consumers’ perception both positively and negatively in different geographical regions depending on consumer messaging.

There are always some businesses who look to ‘tick a box’ and claim they are making a change. It is important to realise, however, that consumers are not easily fooled by those who want a soundbite for social media, or a line to print on packaging. This sort of ‘greenwashing’ is liable to do more harm than good to a brand’s reputation.

Your key messaging must be ‘in-line’ and transparent proportionately to the intention and actions of your business.

Consumers and activists, who you may also consider your stakeholders, will not hesitate to validate your claims and call out discrepancies.

People are looking for a trustworthy partner in their own efforts towards sustainability. They want to continue celebrating special occasions with all the fun, colour and excitement they are entitled to, but in a more ecoconscious way, and you can win a loyal following by listening to their claims.

The race is on to find sustainable solutions in the party industry, and we can all do better if we collaborate to use resources efficiently and responsibly.

After all, we only have one planet.

We need to work together to save it.

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Celebrations are back!

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IN CONVERSATION WITH EIGHTY80

A Kind Word If, prior to the emergence of COVID, you were lucky enough to have balloons on your party menu, you’re likely to have had a much better year than those who didn’t. Add in a generous dollop of kindness, a sprinkle of sustainability, and a cherry on the top of ‘Instagrammable’ product, and you might just have a recipe for success, as retailer Eighty80 has clearly demonstrated.

Above: The business is run of kindness and personal service wherever possible.

This publicity bought Preston-based Eighty80’s Instagram followers to 14K, and rounded off a strong year for the business. Noelle tells us: “During lockdown we got quite a bit busier and we’re currently doing really well with the letters. Lots of people have

The last word

Above: Noelle Kasparis has been a self confessed ‘purveyor of happiness’ since 2018..

E

arlier this year, Noelle Kasparis, founder of Eighty80, an online retailer of letter and number balloons, refunded a customer who had ordered balloons to spell ‘F**k cancer’ for her mum as she finished chemotherapy. Noelle sent a message to the purchaser to reassure her that the balloons were still on their way, but she was refunding the cost so that the family could use it to get some cake.

She explains: “As a rule, any cancer orders we get, such as ‘final day of chemo’ or ‘no more chemo’ or anything like that, we always refund it and send the customer a little note.

This customer posted it on Twitter and it went viral and was everywhere – on Reddit, in the paper in Preston and loads of other places. We got about 4,000 followers from that alone.”

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Providing people with words for a living can provide great anecdotes. Noelle remembers an order received at 3am for balloons to spell out ‘Danielle, I’m sorry, please give me another chance, I love you’… The order went on and totalled £118.

Other interesting orders have included ‘your ear is sexy’, ‘you’re dumped’, ‘Lord c*ntington’, ‘meat party’, ‘#deported’ and many more.

Some of the more heart-warming orders have been ‘We love you NHS’ and ‘no mo chemo’.

Below: There are few words the Eighty80 team haven’t had orders for.

in-jokes, or you might have a family nickname, and the balloons can give you a more personal birthday party and people have been doing all they can to make birthdays special.”

Founded just two and a half years ago, Eighty80 is making kind gestures like this a key part of its business, and in fact it was part of the reason Noelle decided to set up the business. Having graduated with a degree in graphic design and an international marketing master’s, she started working for Apple retail. She says: “After about five years, I thought this wasn’t really my plan, so I started looking at gift shops and things that might make people happy.”

After experimenting with a few personal gift shopping businesses, she finally landed on balloons because “Balloons don’t cost a lot and they make people so happy. They are also popular all year round and don’t have a seasonal selling period.”

She continues: “When the website is up and running, part of our profits will go to either a cancer research company, or end of life care. We’ve also signed up to be an affiliate with MIND, so that we can share some of their content, which is especially important after lockdown and how everyone’s been miserable.”

Noelle also provides free products to local community projects such as homeless shelters for events they are hosting.

While the kindness factor might seem like little more than a great PR

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IN CONVERSATION WITH EIGHTY80

Inset: Balloons to celebrate follower milestones are popular orders.

Above: The Eighty80 team is made up of three, along with Noelle’s dad from time to time.

Above: Noelle says her customers generate her creative content for her.

story, it actually works. Eighty80 has a 25% return rate for customers, who clearly appreciate the personal service that goes with every order. Although Noelle is currently replying to all social media messages single handedly, she ensures all customers are treated well: “I always want to make sure customers are responded to on an individual level, as opposed to here’s a template, just send that out.”

And the personal service is based on a robust business plan.

Noelle started out using Amazon as a testing platform for the business, and grew to include Etsy and Ebay. A dedicated B2C website will launch soon, but the plans don’t stop at retailing products. Noelle explains: “We are intending to go into stores and small retailers, so essentially moving from B2C to B2B.” She furthers: “I’m trying to start

my own small brand and I should be bringing out multiple languages in the fonts. I’m from Cyprus, so my main language is Greek and nobody at the moment is manufacturing the Greek alphabet in the balloons, so I would be the first to do that. Then I could potentially sell to Cyprus and Greece as well, or American sororities.”

As the business grows, Noelle is expanding her team and recently hired a part time staff member along with her daughter, who

is doing an apprenticeship with the business before going to college.

Noelle’s dad also helps out sometimes, and her newly adopted rescue dog, Gary, can often be found in the office, barking at email notifications.

The company is run as sustainably as possible, while also making life easy for the customers. Eighty80’s balloon letters are air fill only, so are reusable and all the products stocked are either reusable or biodegradable.

“We provide everything that the customer needs. We found something that was frustrating when you buy balloons was that they didn’t send you the string, or they didn’t send the inflation techniques, so we always provide everything so that customers only have to go to one place.

“And all of those accessories are biodegradable too. Our new packaging will be made purely out of paper or recycled paper. A lot of balloon companies supply everything in plastic, which defeats the point if we’re trying to be sustainable.”

Above and right: The order that helped Eighty80 go viral earlier this year JUNE 2021 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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THE FREIGHT DEBATE FEEDBACK

Inset: The cost of shipping a 40’ container has increased by up to five times in the last year.

THE FREIGHT DEBATE I f you had transported a 40’ container at around this time last year, your invoice would have been somewhere near the $2,000 mark. Ship the exact same freight today and it will set you back closer to $10,000.

This enormous price hike has been borne out of a combination of different factors centred around a disruption to all areas of the supply chain following the COVID pandemic. But ultimately, as general trade now begins to pick up again, with lockdowns in the UK and further afield beginning to ease, and commerce returning to something resembling normality, the shipping crisis is posing yet another huge stumbling block to trade and threatening the security of businesses which depend on this import and export method.

Shipping costs began to rise in June 2020 as the pandemic took hold and factories were forced to close.

At the same time, demand for PPE, as well as home office equipment, and many other categories saw a sharp increase as a result of global lockdowns. Freight prices steadily rose throughout the second half of 2020. As China then became one of the first to control COVID, and their manufacturing levels returned to normal, a shipping bottleneck began to emerge where the number of containers wasn’t sufficient to ship goods to their destination.

As the economy began to recover towards the end of 2020, and trade started to become more stable, ordering for products and materials from China across all other industries started to increase. At this point, the heightened demand for sea freight was forecast and new containers were ordered.

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A further spike in COVID cases in early 2021 caused more disruption to trade, creating an imbalance, and further exacerbating the problem, causing prices to rise again. Factories and manufacturing closing once again and a shortage in timber and materials, also meant that the orders for extra containers were being cancelled.

The imbalance led to a situation whereby three containers were being exported for every one imported.

United Nations trade data shows that there are around 180 million containers worldwide, which move around 60% of global goods. As demand continues to increase, Reuters has reported that average container turnaround times have shot up to 100 days from an average 60 days previously, causing further delays to timings.

As the situation worsened, the 400ft Taiwanese container ship, Ever Given, getting stuck in the Suez Canal for five days caused substantial disruption and delays to an already struggling import and export industry. The blockage caused a huge economic impact and

So far this year, our industry comment has centred largely around the UK leaving the EU and the complications faced by the industry as a result. Nearly five months on, while businesses are still adapting to this change, international trade has been hit with another crisis, termed as a worldwide shipping crisis. chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabie, estimated damages could be in excess of $1 billion.

Further complicating the situation throughout the pandemic has been the limited air freight capacity. CNBC reports that while international passenger flights often use the extra capacity of a plane to carry freight, the closure of borders and restrictions on air travel have hugely reduced the ability for airlines to import product.

With so many pressures creating the perfect storm for sea freight, it’s difficult to see an end to the issue.

However the ECB Bulletin predicts a light at the end of this very expensive tunnel. It states: “As lockdowns are lifted and consumers rebalance their spending towards services, some easing of the current supply bottlenecks should be expected, with knock-on effects on shipping costs.”

So it seems the party industry, alongside most others, will have to ride out the proverbial storm, while finding ways to offset and absorb the inflated costs in the short term, meanwhile restructuring their businesses to navigate the challenges of Brexit.

We spoke to some of the key players in the party sector to find out how they are managing the issues and working around them.

Inset:Global shipping costs (year-on-year, percentage changes) Source ECB Economic Bulletin Issue 3 2021

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THE FREIGHT DEBATE FEEDBACK

VINCE EDWARDS, HEAD OF LOGISTICS, AMSCAN INTERNATIONAL

JULIE DOMMETT, HEAD OF MARKETING, PIONEER EUROPE “As we are all now very aware, the effects of the pandemic are far-reaching and ongoing. The supply of raw materials and finished goods has been severely impacted by shipping challenges – both the availability and price of containers, but also the time taken for deliveries to arrive.

“Demand for balloon and party products continues to be extremely high, and on-hand inventories have been severely depleted, so timely arrival of new stock is key. It has been a fairly common occurrence for containers en-route to the UK to take up to twice as long to arrive than they did pre-pandemic, and for dates of arrival to change weekly, making it very difficult to give customers a reliable indication of when new stock will actually be available.

“At Pioneer Europe, as well as absorbing the increased costs of containers we have also been air-freighting some product deliveries (at our cost) for several months. Obviously this isn’t a viable financial proposition across the entire range, so on selected lines we have also been offering customers the option to choose and pay for this delivery method themselves.

“Brexit certainly presented additional challenges at the start of the year – firstly with our team, customers and suppliers all having to establish new systems and documentation for deliveries, and then with many delays/difficulties at customs while new procedures bedded in. For most customers the system is now working far more smoothly, and where any new situations or difficulties arise, we are able to work with our distribution partners to resolve them more quickly.”

“We have witnessed the cost of distribution increasing as our suppliers have experienced challenges on their own raw material costs driven by the changes to duties since Brexit and the huge pressures as a result of the current pandemic. Most notably in the past 12 months, we have seen the costs of pallets steadily increase by 20%.

“On our packaging, the demand for board has increased as businesses begin to reopen due to the pandemic, and this has meant we need to consider the need for greater lead times and larger commitments for inventory production, to ensure stocks remain at a sustainable level to service customers.

“A significant change has been noticed in how much additional resource is required to facilitate all

export documentation since Brexit. Changes to freight forwarding data templates meant that we had to make some major changes in our Warehouse Management System, so it could seamlessly integrate and populate the required data fields. New data fields and associated commodity codes also had to be established from inception of new products and the back catalogue as without this, zero stock could be shipped outside the UK. Interestingly, six months into Brexit and our business is still encountering new and everchanging operational challenges as our suppliers and customers require fine tuning to the processes as they too begin to adopt and increase their knowledge on how Brexit has changed the face of freight servicing.”

FRASER SMEATON, OWNER AND DIRECTOR, MORPHSUITS “Although we are seeing huge price increases for container shipping we don’t expect it to impact our volumes. Partly because this is an issue that will impact the entire industry and partly because costumes are small enough that you can get a lot into a container and therefore absolute price increase per unit is not as bad as for some categories.

“The unpredictability following Brexit is settling down but unfortunately not settling into a good position. It is now possible to ship wholesale orders from the UK to EU but involves more paperwork and cost than pre-Brexit. The biggest impact has been on UK to EU (and vice versa) D2C sales which due to cost and delivery time increases, coupled with unpredictable application of duty and tax, are now not viable.”

ROSS FEENEY, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, CLUB GREEN “We continue to trade at the same levels [as we did prior to the FOB cost increases] but as with everyone in our sector, the margins will be hit as it is costing 4/500% more to import goods than it was 12 – 18 months ago.

“Up to now we have done our best to not pass these costs onto our clients, but the costs keep going up and are showing no signs of coming down to the previous levels, so we will have no choice but to implement a price increase at some point this year.

“We recognise that keeping in regular contact with our clients is key to good customer service, and on this particular point we are working on a new communications strategy so we can be ready to engage with our customers at the appropriate time. Of course, many

retailers will already be aware of this issue as a large number import directly themselves. They will also be seeing price increases from other suppliers due to these issues.

“We have been speaking with our customers and making them aware of the issues we are facing, to ensure they are prepared, and we have just expanded our customer engagement team to ensure we provide the best possible service we can to our clients in the coming months.

“Apart from higher shipping costs, our import and export activities outside the EU are unaffected. However, trade within the EU is an ongoing issue; shippers and couriers are still learning on the job and this is causing us issues, particularly when we have goods returned but aren’t provided with any information on why they were returned.

“Things are getting better but it has created extra challenges for us to overcome, and of course these challenges add costs and have an impact

on our ability to provide our clients with a high level of service. At the moment I would characterise trade with the EU as a ‘headache’ but in general terms as a business we are doing all we can to make this as smooth as possible for our customers in the EU to ensure they can continue to trade with us and build on the great relationships we have.

“We are currently in the process of setting up an EU operation to make the dealings with our EU customers even more seamless.

“Overall the importing world has been heavily hit by the unsustainable and unjustifiable increases in shipping costs. I would urge government to look into the way goods are shipped into the UK because the current prices are going to have a significant impact on businesses in every sector of our economy. At a time when government needs to see our economy bounce back post-COVID, it can ill-afford to stand by and watch the economy falter because of these high shipping costs.”

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THE FREIGHT DEBATE FEEDBACK

ELLIOTT PECKETT, DIRECTOR, SMIFFYS “Sea freight costs and container shortages are just the latest in the list of problems facing this industry, on top of Brexit and the COVID pandemic.

The cost of freight globally has been increasing since 2020 as a result of a combination of factors which has created a perfect storm for importers – stockpiling ahead of Brexit; thousands of containers of useless PPE that still sits in containers in UK ports and reduces container availability; as well as soaring global imports of goods post the pandemic lockdowns.

“Just when things couldn’t have seemed to get any worse, the Suez container ship blockage tipped a fragile freight industry beyond breaking point.

Furthermore, COVID outbreaks in export hubs like China have exacerbated matters even further.

“Delays to deliveries from China are certainly affecting stock availability for us and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Stock for Halloween will be at a premium so we are urging all of our customers to place their orders if they haven’t done so already as stocks simply will not be available in the normal quantities.

“Transporting a 40-foot container by sea from China to the UK now costs a record $14,950 and over $18,000 to ship a container from China to the US, compared to the typical average price of around $2,000 just 12 months ago.

The worst news is that these prices show absolutely no signs of decreasing and are fully expected to reach $20,000 per container in the coming weeks – over 10 times the normal rate.

“We announced a price rise earlier this month as we simply couldn’t continue to

absorb these enormous increases in sea freight costs, coupled with increased costs in manufacturing and raw materials.

However, as we were forced to do during the fuel crisis, it is becoming increasingly clear that sea freight surcharges are going to be required as freight prices continue to rise.

“We notified our customers of this ongoing issue in early June, but it is not an issue that is exclusive to this industry – rising consumer prices due to stock shortages and record freight costs are high on the global news agenda. Indeed, customers have been in touch to say they fully understand the problem facing importers worldwide and they will have no choice but to pass these increased costs onto the consumer.

“Despite the fact that our products which are destined for the EU market are shipped straight from our Chinese distribution centre, thereby avoiding the ‘double duty’ that several other industry players are now incurring, EU customs appears very sensitive to any imports into the EU by UK-owned companies and we still incur delays at EU ports.

“Our customers are well aware of the proactive decisions we made to mitigate the effects of Brexit even before the referendum, including opening a Dutch company, office and showroom and a distribution centre in Germany.

We invested in this infrastructure on the advice of EU trade and accountancy experts to mitigate the potential impact of Brexit and even gained approval from Dutch customs for our import process. This model ensures we avoid ‘double duty’ and other Brexit-related costs that others are now facing. Our setup in the EU complements our global distribution model whereby our goods are manufactured and shipped from our Chinese distribution centre directly into the markets in which we operate distribution centres – the UK, US, Australia and Germany.”

JULIAN STARNS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HENBRANDT “Our ability to trade has never been stronger.

We do not need credit from any of our suppliers, who bend over backwards to serve us, and what with our transparency and openness in how we trade…. We have good relationships with our suppliers, but have had to warehouse more goods in China than we normally do, purely because the new rates make many products unviable to sell at the new costs, or with all the delays in containers.

“Even when the pandemic hit, we honoured all our commitments, and didn’t cancel any orders. You can’t sell concrete, so we make sure we always have a warehouse full of stock.

However many importers haven’t imported as many goods recently, so often you get hit on a product simply as the market is generally short on stock.

“The increased costs on bulky items has to be passed onto customers as the new landed costs with the new shipping rates have had a big impact on the end selling price - Up to 40% increase.

“Everybody must be reading what’s happening to freight in the media currently .We actively try to keep in contact with our customers all the time and try to forward think for them. All we can do is our best to service our customers and to help them as much as we can… often suggesting when to and when not to take stock.

“It was hard work getting our Henbrandt Europe BV company set up and sorting out all the issues with getting goods into Europe, whether it was transport issues, or paperwork issues, but all has been sorted now and the operation is running smoothly. I think we were one of the first importers getting goods into Europe, however transport time is still taking too long, but we are working on this. The more time passes, the more routine it will be.

“We have set up Henbrandt Europe BV, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Henbrandt Ltd. This serves our European customers directly, so they are not then the importer of the goods, so are not responsible for test reports and product safety. Our European website shows prices in Euros, and customers can order online.”

SERGIO BATTANER, SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR, PALMER AGENCIES “Shipping from the Far East is extremely difficult these days. Demand for container space is still there, yet the amount of available containers is not. This part of the ongoing effect of the Covid19 pandemic when all shipping stopped and it caught many containers at the wrong time and in the wrong place.

“We will be able to absorb some costs – within reason. Right now, and until

week 28 – w/c 12th July – the prices for a 40’ container have peaked at almost seven times their normal cost. I don’t think this will ease any time soon and the pressure of Christmas shipping will be added right after that. Certainly not a rosy panorama ahead. We’ve got a plan B and plan C ready in case things get really ugly on the shipping front. We’ll be ready to offer our customers the best products with the best customer service and… delivery.

“I think this is a well-known situation [among retailers]. Its consequences for inflation or goods’ availability are now affecting major consumer goods. Think

garden furniture shortage, etc..

“We’re not affected at all by Brexit.

And our customers will not feel any Brexit consequences at all when ordering from us. There are no customs declarations forms, duties, VAT or extra taxes when dealing with Palmer Agencies. Our warehouse and offices are in Northern Ireland. After Brexit, Northern Ireland is both part of the UK and the European Common Market for goods; giving us unfettered access to our customers in the UK, Ireland, Latvia, Germany and so on. To our UK customers, to our EU customers: SAME SERVICE – NO PAPERWORK.”

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LICENSED DRESS-UP AND PARTY

Inset: Bet Amscan has got you singing…

Baby Shark do do do do do do….

STELLAR LINE-UP

Themed parties and fancy dress bashes are ready for their next episode and there are lots of blockbuster movies awaiting release after cinemas were closed for so long. Evergreen properties are also very much in demand, with great new products coming through for both children and adults.

W

hile there is a pent-up demand for new film releases now that cinemas are opening their doors again, digital media consumption has also been at an all time high over recent months. The enforced lack of socialising led us all to spend a little more time on the sofa discovering new series and characters and revisiting old favourites.

Between home-schooling and juggling other demands, screen time for kids has also been a lifesaver for busy parents.

So as we all begin to return to normality and start to party again, the licensed dress up and partyware industry can come into its own with evergreen characters and newcomers proving even more in demand for themed birthday parties, hen and stag dos and in months to come, Halloween and Christmas celebrations.

New film releases are set to start rolling out now and Palmer Agencies is on board for some spooky flicks. Sergio Battaner, sales and marketing director, explains: “We are really very excited about the new licences we have coming through with the Halloween Kills film and the 25th anniversary of Scream.

The US is now open for business, and we will be again in the coming months, so the film business will start up again and these products are ready to go.”

Rubies also has a number of new film properties lined up. Fran Hales, head of content and marketing at Rubies, tells us: “This summer, Rubies has more to offer than ever before thanks to a range of new licences and the successful continuation

Above: The new Peter Rabbit Movie is the subject of Smiffys latest tableware range.

decorations and accessories for every occasion from birthdays to baby showers.”

Smiffys also has a number of new additions to its children’s offering, as Elliott Peckett, director, explains: “Licensed products remain a staple part of Smiffys’ collection, and we’re consistently adding to our portfolio.

New launches to look out for later this year include tableware ranges from Peter Rabbit Movies, Beano and Roald Dahl.

“An exciting new addition to our licensed offering is Disney descendants, with a full kids collection launching later this year including wigs and costumes. The demand for iconic characters is consistent and we have seen this reflected in our recent releases of children’s book costumes The Gruffalo, Mog and The Tiger Who Came to Tea.” The adults portfolio also has some newcomers: “We’re also expanding our adults costumes collection with ranges from Elton John, Rocky, Mean Girls and Addams Family 2.”

He continues: “Following the success of our first licensed wig collection with Manic Panic released last year, we are working on adding further products to the range this summer. The collaboration of Smiffys wigmaker heritage and Manic Panic’s iconic colour range has proved a success, especially in the US.” Amscan’s licensed children’s range has expanded, as Jennifer Wilson, head of marketing and design, comments: “More newness has landed here at Amscan. Our dress up category welcomes the addition of Cobra Kai. There are additions to our Warner Bros. portfolio too, with an updated Suicide Squad 2 Harley Quinn.”

Some of existing brands have a new look: “Our refreshed Baby Shark range is proving to be a big hit. With the full party range available, there’s no excuse not to be singing everyone’s favourite tune. Everyone’s favourite Bing bunny also has a new party range coming soon.

“Party just got easier with our new licensed party boxes. Our first launch includes four styles and three evergreen licences and are available in PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, Peppa Pig Halloween and Harry Potter themes.”

of existing ones. Rubies is welcoming new licences this month, including Black Widow, the latest instalment in the MCU; these superhero costumes are set to delight and inspire children and adults alike.

“We will also be going intergalactic this summer with the release of the official Space Jam: A New Legacy costumes featuring the Tune Squad jersey and shorts along with separate character masks. Both costumes and the blockbuster movie look Below: 2021 is the 25th anniversary of the Original Scream film and Palmer set to be a slam dunk for us.”

Agencies is celebrating.

And the company is also Far right: Rubies bolstering its children’s believes Space Jam: A New Legacy is portfolio with a new brand. to be the film Fran continues: “Furthermore, set of the summer.

Rubies will also be designing and manufacturing the costumes for Oddbods, a three-time Emmy nominated aminated series following seven quirky creatures on adventures, ideal for children’s parties.

“Bristol Novelty also offers an extensive range of party

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LICENSED DRESS-UP AND PARTY

DRESS-UP AND PARTY

Rubies is bringing characters from the three time Emmy nominated series, Oddbods, to life with a range of quirky costumes for children, which will feature the latest Oddbods content and characters including Pogo and Fuse.

Party just got easier with Amscan’s new licensed party boxes. The initial launch includes four styles and three evergreen licences. Each set has eight plates, 16 napkins, eight cups and loot bags and one banner.

Available in PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, and Harry Potter.

Palmer Agencies’ new Michael Myers masks from Trick or Treat studios are now in stock and available to order, featuring the Halloween 4 and Halloween 5 styles as well as other characters.

There are two new styles of Cobra Kai Gi and Miyagi Do Karate in Amscan’s new range.

Both styles are available from age 4-6 through to adult.

New to Amscan’s juvenile Halloween offering is the new Hey Duggee skeleton style, with more new brands coming soon, including Slush Puppie.

Following the success of Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, Smiffys’ new tableware range has everything you need to throw a perfect Peter Rabbit themed party. Available for pre-order now.

Smiffys is launching a full range of official Roald Dahl Charlie & the Chocolate Factory tableware this summer with everything needed to throw a chocolate themed bash. The range includes party hats, treat tubs, plates and more.

In preparation for Space Jam: A New Legacy, Amscan has costumes for all the family containing top, shorts and the all important arm sleeve.

Ghostface, the icon of Halloween is also coming to market in other styles this year, courtesy of Palmer.

Amscan’s refreshed Baby Shark range includes paper masks, loot bags, more décor and balloons along with an updated full range featuring more characters.

Bolstering its Warner Bros portfolio, Amscan has an updated Suicide Squad 2 Harley Quinn with jacket, top, leggings and belt panel.

The party range from Amscan has a new addition in the guise of Hey Duggee, with build your own party bags, costumes and balloons.

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FOCUS ON BALLOONS

Balloons had their big moment over the past year – families who were desperate to celebrate in any way they could during lockdowns gave balloons the chance to create a party feel when parties were off limits. But with curbs on social gatherings slowly easing and hopefully being lifted next month, there’s still plenty of scope for this category to continue with its strong sales.

Left: The balloon garland kits from Amscan create a centrepiece for parties.

Forever flying

I

f anecdotal evidence of families storing up milestone birthdays, reunions, and other celebrations for as soon as Boris gives the green light are anything to go by (crossing everything for 19 July), then balloon manufacturers and retailers are likely to be getting two bites of the cherry during this pandemic.

Creating a real wow factor with balloons and other partyware will be a must at the longawaited parties and ‘go big or go home’ seems to be the overriding feeling. Shayna Bowles, marketing manager at Creative Party tells us: “Lately when it comes to party balloons, the bigger, the better. That’s why our Giant Shaped Metallic Balloons in fun and unique shapes are a must.”

In terms of trends, rose gold is continuing to sell well, as Shayna reports: “Our new Rose Gold Milestone latex range in ages 18-80 is now is stock and exceeding sales forecasts.

Match with our rose gold Above: The new Qualatex Fall Glittergraphic Ombré Leaf co-ordinates beautifully with matt and pearl pastel colour latex as well as Chrome balloons.

Right: Creative Party’s Giant Champagne Bottle Metallic Balloon is perfect for any celebration.

Far right: Evergreen licences like In the Night Garden are selling well for Grabo.

bubble weight and metallic rose gold curling ribbon for a complete look.”

Bespoke balloons are also very popular, as Julie Dommett, head of marketing, Pioneer Europe explains: “Custom-colour organic décor is huge on social media right now.

“To help customers create stunning, longlasting décor in whatever colour they desire, Qualatex has launched a range of new latex custom-colour leaflets, featuring beautiful design ideas and latex combination charts.”

And beyond the initial excitement of seeing more faces than those in your own family again, we can also start to look forward to the seasonal events in the second half of the year, including Halloween and Christmas.

Jennifer Wilson, head

of marketing and design at Amscan, explains: “Our Anagram balloons continue to lead the way with trend and innovation. Our latest products include new seasonal additions to our Airloonz assortment with new Halloween and Christmas designs to pre order now.”

Julie agrees: “Though the new Gnome 42” Mircofoil shape makes his very first appearance on the front cover of the new Qualatex Halloween and Christmas catalogue, he and his 14” sibling Mini Gnome, are already set to be firm favourites all year round. Look out for some fun Gnome adventures on social media in the autumn, and don’t hang around to secure stock, as pre-season orders have been high.”

As with all categories, and particularly highlighted for the balloon sector, sustainability is a key focus for many suppliers. Gemar is leading the way with eco-friendly ranges, as marketing manager, Clara Vaugelade-Tafani, expounds: “Of course all Gemar balloons are produced using natural rubber latex and organic dye, using a carbon neutral process.

No matter which of our balloons you choose, they are all biodegradable, and we always work to benefit the local communities we are involved with. You can choose balloons from any of our ranges and ‘go green with Gemar’.

“We simply didn’t want to stop there.

We are always striving for better, looking for innovative ways to lead the industry into a brighter future. Which is why we developed the FSC-certified balloon range.

The natural latex that we use to make the balloons begins its life as a milky sap, which is harvested from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree is the same way that syrup is harvested from a Maple tree.”

Many retailers are also making the move to a more eco-friendly business.

Head to page 24 to read about how online retailer, Eighty80 is planning to move to sustainable packaging and products.

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Celebrate in Style! Check out the Style collection from Pioneer® Party. The elegant tableware and fabulous party props make every occasion a celebration!

Co-ordinates beautifully with a host of Qualatex® balloons!

See the full Style collection at www.pioneerparty.com.

For information on how to order, contact Pioneer® Europe on +44 1279 501090 or email: pelorder@qualatex.com USA ©2021 PBC SB – PEL2106002

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FOCUS ON BALLOONS

FOREVER FLYING

The new Rose Gold Milestone range from Creative Party features a contemporary print in ages 18-80. The 12” balloons are deluxe helium quality, biodegradable and made in the EU.

Amscan’s new retail balloon pump is ideal to upsell alongside the balloon garland kits, and takes the hard work out of creating show stopping creations.

Cute new five inch animal print latex balloons coordinate with Amscan’s 12 inch Sempertex and Animalz Orbz, as well as the standards.

The Hen Party offering from Grabo features bride to be and Miss to Mrs messages in shaped and round designs.

The new Qualatex Fall Glittergraphic Ombré Leaf 21” Microfoil balloon is a perfect accent balloon to use with the autumn coloured décor that is so on-trend.

New shapes in Creative Party’s Giant Shaped Metallic Balloons range include a Great White Shark, Alligator, Narwhal and more.

The new Reflex Fuchsia from Amscan’s Sempertex range lends itself to a tonal palette of pinks, reds and burgundies alike.

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FOCUS ON BALLOONS

FOREVER FLYING

Grabo’s new In the Night Garden collection includes a range of 18 inch rounds and shapes featuring the much loved characters.

The new FSC Certified range of balloons from Gemar means that all materials derived from forests used in manufacturing both the balloons and the packaging come from sustainably managed forests.

Amscan’s Halloween and Christmas Airloonz are available to pre-order now.

The top-selling bubble balloon weight range from Creative Party has been extended to include four new trend colours.

The 14” Reflex Hearts are also new to the Amscan offering and are available in six colours.

The Qualatex team can’t wait for the arrival of ‘Norm’, as he’s now affectionately known in the office – the new Gnome 42” Microfoil Shape. He and his 14” sibling are set to be firm favourites all year round.

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FEATURE: GROUP PARTYING

Inset: The pent up consumer demand for parties promises a great summer for the industry.

The Big Reunion

After months of restrictions on socialising, there’s set to be some huge parties after 19 July. It’s time for stag and hen parties, baby showers, missed milestone birthdays and huge celebrations to make their comeback, before we move on to seasonal celebrations which we’ll all be doubly excited to celebrate after missing out last time. So step forward party people, your time is now.

W

hile big group parties seem like a distant memory at the moment, families have been continuing to party in any which way they can during the lockdown period in the UK, offering some solace to the industry.

Mark Brett, UK agent, Boland Party, tells us:

“Group partying has undoubtedly been the hit of the birthday party market over the last 18 months.

Albeit up until recently they have been very small groups. Nevertheless it is very evident that, if only in the family group, there have been far more at home than ever before.”

Elliott Peckett, director, Smiffys, adds: “The rise of the ‘Instagram’

party has been great for our industry, with customers decorating their homes and gardens and dressing up for every occasion from gender reveals to graduations.”

While the final stage of the lifting of restrictions may have been delayed, the end is now in sight. Meanwhile, the cap on wedding guests has been removed, providing a real boost for many in the interim.

Jennifer Wilson, head of marketing and design, Amscan, is optimistic: “Weddings and hen nights are back, and with lots of making up to do, we know that celebrating just got even more important. With this is mind, we’ve launched plenty of new items including our Team Bride range.”

Left: Celebrate missed milestones with Creative Party’s new Pearl Anniversary collection.

Far left: Couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Club Green.

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FEATURE: GROUP PARTYING

Above: Weddings and hen nights are back and Amscan is prepared.

Right: Festival chic is firmly on the horizon according to Smiffys.

All being well, 19 July will see all remaining restrictions on socialising removed, and the industry is looking forward to an explosion in group parties.

Fran Hales, head of content and marketing at Rubies enthuses: “Rubies fully supports the cautious optimism put in place by the Government and is happier than ever to see people once again celebrating and partying with friends and family. Our Hello Summer campaign is designed specifically to celebrate these moments, optimising the time we will spend catching up with loved ones.

“Our portfolio of costumes and accessories from Rubies are ideal for getting into the party or festival spirit and embracing the atmosphere. For party decoration, Bristol Novelty has an extensive range for every reason to celebrate and possible theme.

“From full character costumes to accessories to help you build your own unique costume, there is something for every occasion now the world is reopening. Whether you need matching costumes or accessories for hen parties and stag dos or children’s costumes for birthday parties, our range of fully licensed products will delight and inspire audiences of all ages.”

Creative Party is also ready. Shayna Bowles, marketing manager, adds: “With lockdown restrictions lifting, consumers across the globe are getting ready to party. Engagement, wedding, anniversary and milestone birthday parties will be in full swing again with shoppers making up for missed

celebrations over the past year, and careful not to take celebrating special occasions with friends and loved ones for granted again.”

Sergio Battaner, sales and marketing director, Palmer Agencies, agrees: “Group parties will come back and I believe that by Halloween we will have recovered a sense of normality.

There will be a pent up demand for partying. It may take two to Tango, but it takes more than two to party.”

Michele Gaudelli, commercial director, Club Green, comments: “We know people are itching to get back socialising, meeting one another, and having a good party. It’s been a long wait, but I think we’re all ready for an enjoyable summer.

We’re really excited about the next six months; we have a great range covering baby showers, hen dos and stag dos, birthday celebrations and summer parties.

“We have seen a considerable increase in sales over the past few weeks as our clients stock up in anticipation of the easing of lockdown, and I am delighted to confirm we also have some fantastic new ranges in the

pipeline for Halloween, Eid, Christmas and New Year.”

With the big day of freedom planned for midsummer, the season is becoming a key trend for parties. Mark Brett continues: “Football has naturally been very strong over recent weeks, but the underlying theme has been that of summer ie tropical, Hawaiian, toucan, beach, anything to do with places you can’t travel to.”

Further expectations for trends over the coming months include a return to festivals and Pride. Elliott explains: “After a year without festivals or mass partying of any kind, we’re anticipating that customers will go all out for festival season this year.

Our range of Fever and Manic Panic wigs are ideal for that day three festival hair, and our festival collection of brightly coloured bodysuits and tinsel jackets reflect the mood of freedom and hedonism.

“Another event we are looking forward to seeing return to the streets this year is Pride. The colourful event full of love has been missed and we can’t wait to see the crowds clad in rainbow accessories once again.”

“With lockdown restrictions lifting, consumers across the globe are getting ready to party.”

Shayna Bowles, marketing manager, Creative Party

Right: The cap on wedding numbers has been lifted and Smiffys has everything the hens need to get the party started.

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FEATURE: GROUP PARTYING

THE BIG REUNION

Creative Party’s Navy and Gold Geode Milestone range features gold foil accents set against an on-trend marbled navy background. Available in ages 8-80, the range features napkins, confetti, paper flag bunting, latex balloons, foil banners and more.

The licensed Black Widow costumes will be launched in time for the theatrical release later this month in adult and child styles. The new range adds another hero to the superhuman portfolio of Marvel Universe characters that Rubies designs and manufactures.

The new happy birthday range from Boland is also available in French, and includes cups, plates, serviettes, loot bags, foil balloons, bunting and a matching range of foil number bunting.

Create home-based festivals with Amscan’s Sempertex latex range – perfect for professionals to use to set the scene. Consumers can also create the look with the balloon garland kits.

44

Smiffys has updated its Hen Do collection in a classy gold glitter tone, ideal for that perfect Instagram group shot.

Including sashes, headbands and badges, the collection is available to order now for summer hen parties.

Festivals are back and so are the incredible outfit combinations. Smiffys Fever festival range is available now and includes everything you need to let your alter ego loose including neon bodysuits and tinsel jackets.

The Pearl Anniversary capsule collection completes Creative Party’s updated wedding and anniversary offering. Napkins, paper flag bunting, foil banners and latex balloons feature an updated, modern design and foil stamping.

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FEATURE: GROUP PARTYING

THE BIG REUNION

The countdown is on for festivals making a comeback and Amscan has everything your customers need to take to the event, or recreate at home. New decade costumes feature plenty of flares, swing dresses and jogging suits galore for retro themed events.

Palmer Agencies’ new Crash Test Dummy mask is ideal for a group who wants to have a fun night out ‘safely’. This vacuform mask comes with an elastic strap and a foam pad for comfort and a perfect fit.

Amscan has launched plenty of new items for weddings and hen nights, including the Team Bride range in rose gold and blush tones. The range covers tableware, décor, and wearables. The wedding portfolio has also been upgraded to include all the basics from bunting to tassel garlands and balloons in all colours.

There are a range of designs to choose from for those long awaited birthday parties from Club Green, including Dotty Dalmation, Party Animals and Rose Gold.

Club Green is really excited about summer parties and has this tropical summer range at the ready.

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We choose...

TREAT!!

NO tricks in our 2021 catalogue!

bit.ly/CataloguePalmer21

 sales@palmeragencies.com  +44 (0) 28 9064 7119  palmeragencies.com Palmers_PPE_June 2021.indd 1

02/07/2021 10:40

ALL HALLOWEEN

orders placed before the end of July will receive a FREE DECOR TREAT* *

Orders over £500 (GBP) will receive one pack (12 pieces) of item 6182 Tombstones with moss (3 styles asst). Subject to availability. No other discounts apply. No exchanges for credit, cash or alternatives. CODE: TREAT21 facebook.com/PalmerAgencies Palmers_PPE_June 2021.indd 2

@palmeragencies

instagram.com/palmeragencies 02/07/2021 10:40

Check out our NEW costumes available to order online now!

©Amscan 2021, ©Anagram 2021. All Rights Reserved.

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

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★ Y ou’re an established party provider with a physical store or online presence ★ You already have delivery vans and drivers ★ You have spare storage space that’s safe, clean and dry ★ You’re looking to increase sales, awareness and drive more people to you ★ You’re looking to extend your network with other party providers

ABOUT OUR FOUNDER:

Founded in 2015, What About The Kids is the brain child of Ellie, who realised there was little on offer to keep kids entertained at weddings. She started by supplying stylish and affordable kids corners at local events. Once word got out the business quickly expanded and now hires focuses on hiring out party furniture and party extras across the UK - all just for kids.

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WHAT DO OUR PARTNERS SAY: “Ellie is fantastic to work with and the whole process couldn’t be easier. From easy storage of the furniture, to the booking and payment processes, all simple and without any fuss.”

“At Fun ‘n’ Frolic we are always looking at ways to change and diversify. So when the WATK opportunity came about, we decided to go for it. And we haven’t looked back since.

Before the pandemic hit, we were really pleased with the number of bookings we were taking and as a party store, it also helped with our balloon sales, as many of the bookings were complementing the fantastic little wooden tables and chairs with balloon installations. Now the enquires and bookings are coming in again, so we are super excited for the next few months and beyond.”

“Looking for some extra income after such a difficult year or so, then please do take a look at joining in with WATK.”

Dan – Fun ‘n’ Frolic

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MEDFORD HOUSE, EAST COMMON LANE SCUNTHORPE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE ENGLAND DN16 1DE FREEPHONE: 0800-052-4977 | TELEPHONE: 01724-281113 | FAX: 01724-281119 | OUTSIDE UK TELEPHONE: 0044-1724-281113 FAX: 0044-1724-281119 | E-MAIL: SALES@UNIQUEPART Y.CO.UK

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