Party and Discount Store Report

business to all the supplies people bought to decorate cars for parades, not to mention lawns, as they celebrated graduations and other spring and summer occasions in inventive ways while practicing social distancing. She did note, however, that business had slowed down tremendously during the week leading up to Halloween.

Party Favors in Brookline, Mass., has a ton of St. Patrick’s Day merchandise left over this year. Since Boston is home to a signature parade, the holiday is typically a busy one for the 30-year-old party goods business and it stocked up with all the usual supplies. “Light-up pins, light-up necklaces, hats, boppers, anything they can wear of course sells great for St. Patty’s Day,” said Owner John Pergantis. However, the pandemic arrived just in time for the party as an uninvited guest. Now all those unsold goods lie waiting in a storage unit until next year. “At this point, we just want to keep our head above water.” Fortunately, Party Favors has an ace up its sleeve. For not only is it a party supplies store, it is also a full-service bakery. “People are still ordering cakes and we’re bringing them out curbside,” Pergantis said, although he does rue the loss of foot shopping and incidental purchases.

When Eastertime rolls around, Party Favors usually does a brisk business in chocolate Easter bunnies that they make themselves. “We use the same molds we’ve had for 30 years,” said Pergantis. The bunnies were prepared during February this year and unfortunately, they too became a quarantine casualty. As for party goods, Easter bunny ears and boppers featuring spring-time paraphernalia such as ladybugs and

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