Best-Selling Party Supplies and Decorations for New Year’s and Any Time

It’s party time. Even as COVID-19 restrictions shift and change, families and friends are planning celebration activities of all kinds for a wide range of occasions.

At Party Planet in Fairbanks, Alaska, Owner Bill Torgerson is a known balloon artist, so perhaps it’s no wonder that among his top-selling party items are balloons. “They’re always strong for us. We can make a large variety of balloon sculptures, art pieces, columns, and garlands. We also have a lot of streamers and party favors that do well.” With party favors, currently supply shortages have resulted in the store liquidating its older products, he related, but people are eager to buy them. “Everyone’s in a rush right now, to both open up and to hold events,” he said.

Come New Year’s Eve, the store always changes things up, and Torgerson sees this year as being one that will be “a lot bigger,” that in past years. “Last year and other years before the pandemic, people were quieter in terms of their celebrations. This year I foresee them doing larger and more social things. By that I don’t expect a big influx of people buying decorations for their homes, but rather I expect to see bars and restaurants buying a lot of items to accommodate people going out and attending events at those locations to celebrate.” He added that “Our best-sellers for New Year’s are plastic champagne flutes, little noise makers and confetti poppers. Balloons are strong, but at that time of the year it really is more businesses that are looking for a large sculpture of balloons to fill up space, not so much smaller balloon items for at-home parties.”

Torgerson said that parties have changed somewhat since the pandemic, and his 800-square-foot store has, too. “Last year people weren’t able to have parties, so their budgets shifted to balloons, which of course I am more than happy to help out with, because I am versatile with them. People were getting big balloon sculptures for small family celebrations when they couldn’t have bigger parties. The display was more important than before.”

In Portland, Ore., at The Lippman Company, Manager Robyn Adair also is big on balloons. “They’re getting more popular every year, and they are very popular right now,” she explained. “I think maybe as party supplies, balloons are going bigger because people want to celebrate more right now, feel more special and party with more elaborate displays. And people have also viewed balloons in use on Pinterest for even small parties, and it’s appealing.”

Come New Year’s Eve, Adair expects to see sales of more balloons, as well as streamers, noise makers, and plastic champagne cups. “The real difference for New Year’s Eve is the color theme. Particularly in balloons the colors tend to be gold, silver, and black. I think this year people will go bigger and splashier. Last year we didn’t see a lot of big parties, and there were certainly none happening at businesses, and I think we will see that return this year. I think in general New Year’s will happen on a bigger party scale, because people didn’t get to party at all last year.”

Overall, Adair feels that parties have changed since the pandemic. “For a while, there were more outside parties, although I am seeing less interest in things like

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