A record number of party and fancy dress retailers reported increased Book Week sales last year, with 63% of the respondents to the Progressive Party retail survey recording a boost in sales on their 2017 figures.
The fancy dress occasion has proven itself to be a lucrative season over the past few years and while parents might not be the biggest fans of the event, for children, schools and fancy dress retailers, it is showing no signs of slowing down. Overall, 92% of those who answered the survey reported a that their Book Week sales had either grown or remained the same.
The seasonal section of the Progressive Party retail barometer also allows comparison between Book Week and other key seasonal or landmark occasions, such as Christmas, Halloween and New Year. Book Week was the strongest of all of these, by a significant degree, with Halloween sales remaining the same for just over 70% of respondents.
Birthdays were another strong area of the market, with 81% of the markets reporting that sales had either benefited from a boost or remained stable.
