It’s going to be an interesting year. Already we have supply shortages on chicken affecting many fast-food chains. A labor shortage is affecting many restaurants and quick-service establishments and many small businesses. If you are looking forward to the summer days ahead and cooling off by the pool you may want to get your chlorine now as chlorine will be another item that will be in short supply this summer. Gas is expected to climb higher as summer travel is already well underway, and a shortage of steel is currently driving up appliance prices on average about 12% while the cost of steel itself has increased 300%. If you want to build a new home the drastic increase in lumber prices and labor rates will cost you an extra $37,000 when compared to last year. Prices on many materials are about to go up significantly largely driven by supply chain issues and manufacturers that can’t meet consumer demand. Most of these issues are directly or indirectly related to government stimulus in the wake of COVID 19. Like everything else the fireworks industry is facing significant shortages for this 4th of July Season. You can read all the details as to why prices are skyrocketing and why there will be major shortages in our prior blog post. Be sure to check it out! Now that the season is drawing closer, we can clearly see what is going to be in short supply this year. Before we get into the details keep in mind that shortages will vary from region to region and this post is simply looking at the overall industry. There is no doubt there will be supply shortages on every product produced this year since factories do not have the production capabilities to meet current demand and factories were closed significantly longer this year leaving fewer days for production. Finally, major supply chain issues will delay hundreds of containers of fireworks which means a significant amount of product will not arrive in the US until after the 4th season. Most importers are reporting that they will only receive about 50 to 70% of what they ordered. Looking into the crystal ball, the following are the top 5 products we believe will sell out quickly industry-wide this season as supply is extremely limited:
Honorable Mention
200 gram multishots:
When you walk into your retailer of choice this season you should be able to find a decent amount of 200 gram multishots. However, retailers will have less variety and value items like 96 shot pearl, garden in the spring, blue stars with report, and other inexpensive 200 gram multishots are in very limited supply. Most distributors have been sold out of these items for a long time now.
#5 – New Products:
Most factories were not able to produce any new items this year as they barely had enough time to produce their staples/best-selling products. So that item with a new effect or that new finale or shell kit you desperately wanted will likely be missing on the shelf this year. Any new 2021 items that were produced will probably arrive after the 4th.
#4 – Large Bore Roman Candles:
If you are like us and love a GOOD roman candle that shoots like a 200 gram multishot well you may be disappointed this year. Most large-bore roman candles did not get produced this year and distributors sold out in January. If you happen to find some be sure to grab a pack or two!
#3 – Firecrackers:
You should be able to find strips of 50s and 100s this year but rolls of 1,000, 2,000, 8,000, 16,000 will likely sell out quickly. Retailers have a very short supply of these items. Unfortunately, many firecrackers will not make it in time for the season. Moving forward factories will be making less and less novelty items, bottle rockets, and firecrackers as these items are not very profitable. We expect supply issues to exist on these items indefinitely.
#2 – Artillery Shells:
Most retailers will be able to carry 60gram canister shells however you will see a significant price bump on shells in general due to the dramatic increase in cost of shipping (up to a 300% increase in cost). Factories were not able to start producing artillery shells until mid-March this year and with the supply chain issues importers only had a little over a month to get their artillery shells on the water. Items like black box, festival balls, and any other value shells still haven’t shipped and will not make it in time for the season. Distributors have long been sold out of these items so any value shell this year will be an exceedingly rare find.
#1 – Assortments:
Factories made very few assortments this year and moving forward we expect assortments to be in short supply indefinitely as factories would rather make more profitable items like 500 gram finales and canister shells. We expect to see more distributors making their own assortments here in the US as supply over the next few years dwindles. Don’t be shocked to see empty shelves where assortments once were stocked in abundance.
What should you do?
It is very simple you should shop early this year. The busiest days of the fireworks season are July 3rd and 4th which will fall on Saturday and Sunday this year. Stop by your retailer on the way home from work during the week when there are no lines and plenty of selection to chose from. As the 3rd and 4th draw near this year fireworks in general will sell out quickly.
Is Xtreme Fireworks prepared? The short answer is: Absolutely! We import as well as buy from many distributors to supplement our inventory. We are open all year so selling out of fireworks isn’t an option for us. In fact, we are well stocked with roman candles, bottle rockets, assortments, a wide variety of artillery shells, 500 gram cakes, fountains, 200 gram cakes and plenty of our customer favorite super finales. But, just like every other retailer some products will sell out and shopping early this year will give you the best chance that your favorite item of yours will be in stock. Prices right now are the lowest they will ever be so shopping in early June will save you a ton of cash. As imported items land prices will go up.
