By: Chris Reese
As I stated in October the road ahead for consumer fireworks is a bumpy one with many potential potholes. The consumer fireworks industry has always been a unique challenge and the recent port closures in China were unexpected leaving many wholesalers and retailers without product for the New Year season.
Fortunately the New Year season is only a fraction of the demand the industry sees for the 4th of July. In the Northern states most consumers do not celebrate with fireworks since the climate is so cold. However, depending on the weather, parts of the Southwest and most of Southeast retailers usually see up to 60% of their 4th of July revenue. While the New Year season is not as big as the 4th of July it’s still very important for many retailers.
For those that do celebrate the New Year with fireworks, certain products may be difficult to find and once again due to the shortages prices are increasing as the supply dwindles. Recently many wholesalers increased their prices on their remaining inventory 5 to 15%. At first this may not seem like much to the average consumer but this is the 3rd price increase this year and retailers simply cannot afford to absorb the added cost.
Why did Chinese ports close?
In short the ports are building new facilities for testing hazardous materials. As a result, hundreds of containers that were destined to various wholesalers and retailers for the NY season are loaded and waiting to be shipped. However, with the projected closure to last for several months products won’t make it in time for the NY season. Usually this wouldn’t be a significant blow, but due to record sales this past 4th, suppliers are extremely low and many are saving what they have left for their own retail operations.
To make matters worse, the longer the ports are closed the greater impact this could have on supply for the 4th next season. Any further delay would simply be catastrophic for the industry. Fortunately we don’t expect that at this time.
Some good news:
As of this week, the Beihai port opened back up allowing some firework containers to ship out. Unfortunately the port/local government has decided to add another $5,000 on to the already high freight cost due to what the Chinese government calls a “peak season” charge. With most wholesalers usually shipping 20+ containers this is an exorbitant cost retailers and wholesalers are not willing to pay so very little product is expected to land in the US for the remainder of this year.
What products are in short supply?
As always availability will vary considerably from retailer to retailer and region to region. However in general listed below are the top 10 products that will likely be hard to find this New Year season.
Bamboo Sparklers – bamboo sparklers are generally safer and in higher demand then the wire version. Most wholesalers have been sold out since the 4th.
Bottle Rockets – most retailers will have the generics on hand but the premium versions will be almost impossible to find.
Saturn Missiles – we expect the 300 shot versions will be especially difficult to find.
Small 200 gram aerials – items like garden in the spring, blue stars with reports, various happy’s, color pearls, magician, 100 shot magical barrage are retail staples that you may not see on the shelf this NY season.
Large diameter racks (NOABS) – Often referred to as nine on a board these titans give off the biggest display possible in consumer fireworks.
Rockets – While most retailers will have some rockets expect selection to be small.
Novelties – Items like adult snaps, tanks, and more popular smaller items will be in short supply.
Large effect roman candles – these are nowhere to be found period. Thankfully generic roman candles should be easy to find.
Artillery shells – especially the high powered 60 gram canister shells. Many wholesalers are sold out!
Assortments – without a doubt this will be the most difficult item to find on the shelf this year. If you’re the typical consumer that doesn’t know much about fireworks so you usually grab an assortment shop early this NY! If your retailer is sold out just ask a knowledgeable sales rep to put a package together for you that meets your budget.
So if you plan to exit 2020 by setting off a few fireworks shop before New Year’s Eve for the best selection or your plans for NY might just turn out to be a dud!