Industry execs are hopeful that despite a challenging economic climate, and continuing supply issues, the year ahead will be strong overall.
As a fresh set of challenges face the party industry, including supply problems with helium, many are diversifying product offerings. Jonathan Grassi, vice president of Grabo Balloons, explained: “The year 2023 will be an important year, probably of changes, caused by the limitation of the use of helium for which we have equipped ourselves properly. We will present at Spring Fair our drop bases, a real base that allows most of our air balloons to be inflated and placed on this base becoming a stand-up balloons.”
Others have high hopes for new ranges and milestones. Tony Lewis, Disguise’s director of sales and marketing, commented: “2023 is an incredible year for Disney with their 100th anniversary, Frozen 10th anniversary and two highly anticipated movies in June and November so it should be very promising. Let’s go for 2023.”
The nature of the party industry will keep consumers spending, says Mark Brett, sole UK agent for Boland: “Despite all the travails facing the marketplace, we still see growth and development within the party market. The consumer will still spend on having a good time. That may mean cutting back but within the retail market place the consumer can create their own fun for not a great deal of money. And fun is something we all crave for.”
Key events are also still bringing in sales, said Elliott Peckett, director of Smiffys: “There will inevitably be some caution on the high street and online across the UK in 2023, but less so in the EU, US and Australia who are all coping better economically.
“However, key seasons seem to be holding up well – on top of our record 2022 Halloween performance, we have had a superb pre-sell for Halloween 2023 across all markets, and Carnival in Europe is back with a bang. World Book Day in the UK will be the first since 2020 to not have been impacted by Covid restrictions and pre-sales are strong on the back of that.”
Sergio Battaner, sales and marketing director, Palmer Agencies, summed up: “2023 comes with a fresh set of cost-of-living challenges but, once again, we’ll aim to be resourceful, savvy and clever enough to offer value for money, new ideas and super customer service.”
