Whatever you might think of 2017, there is no doubt that it was a challenging year and the last 12 months certainly kept the retail industry on its toes. PWW spoke to Louise Portnall, marketing and range planning manager for Gemma International, to find out how the last year has shaped up for the party supplier…
More Choice Than Ever
“The party industry has been relatively buoyant in the past year. There is more choice than ever for retailers and consumers alike. With limited space in store and cautiousness retailers tend to stock best sellers or licences that they know will do well.”
PJ Masks Powerhouse
“Our party highlight for 2017 was the launch of new preschool powerhouse, PJ Masks partyware. We have seen phenomenal success and high demand for PJ Masks party products, enjoying repeat orders for one of our newest launches.”
Trend Driven
“The majority of consumers are trend- driven in all aspect of their lives and retailers should continue to support licensed party. Gemma’s licensing team work hard to bring the latest but more sustainable licenses to the party market and we hope our customers continue to see there are great opportunities with
licensed partyware.”
Inflatable Items
“Product-wise, there appears to have been an influx of metallic and unicorn-themed products this year but we have been very excited by the inflatable fancy dress items. Noticeably the Christmas turkey and the brilliant T-Rex costumes.”
The party industry in three words: Cautious but exciting.
