Keeping Sales Popping Party Supply and Decoration Best-Sellers at Party Stores

By Sara Karnish

The party planning industry and its affiliates— namely party supply and decoration retailers—are in the business of celebrating and recognizing special occasions. Even as customers’ preferences and trends change, retailers say there are still some trends and traditions that continue to stand the test of time. Gatherings may have been smaller throughout the pandemic, but retailers say customers still found reasons to celebrate. Get-togethers are slowly getting larger as more people feel comfortable attending in-person events.

In party supplies, Simon Kuonen , owner of Party Bazaar in Dallas, Texas, said their best-sellers are “balloons, high-end paper products, and novelty candy.” He said helium balloons are unquestionably their best-seller, mainly because of their versatility—they are appropriate for a wide range of occasions—and because they are one product that is difficult to purchase online. A customer can purchase them, but would still need to get them filled. In most instances, party stores can do both. Kuonen added, “We have hundreds of my- lar balloons to choose from as well as a wide array of latex balloons. Our confetti balloons, filled with the customer’s choice of confetti, are also a hit, and at $19.95 a ‘pop’ they quickly run up average ticket sales. Finally, we also offer custom balloons that can be personalized with messages with just one day lead time.” Party Bazaar also does well with their selection of paper

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