There’s only a week to go, so while we will still be here next week, we wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Christmas and to thank you for being awesome over the past year. We will be taking a break online until Tuesday 4 January, 2022, when we’ll be back to bring you all of the news from the festive period.
You don’t need us to tell you that it’s been another tough, and uncertain year. Beginning in lockdown with non-essential retail closed, wasn’t the best way to start a New Year. Retailers and suppliers alike had suffered from the restrictions over Christmas, and this was yet another blow to business. Indies were doing all they could to stay afloat and service their customers, while the wider industry remained positive and practical in the face of adversity.
Luckily the first few months of the year don’t hold too many major events for the public to be missing out on, but we did miss the annual trip to the US for the Halloween & Party Expo. Having said that, the organisers did a sterling job of recreating the event virtually. Likewise, Spring Fair @ Home kept the wheels of virtual trade shows turning and helped buyers keep up to speed on what was new for the coming months.
Meanwhile, suppliers such as Gemar, Pioneer Europe and Amscan were preparing for a Valentine’s Day as we’d never experienced it before. World Book Day and St Patrick’s Day were also celebrated virtually.
Then finally, the news of the roadmap out of lockdown came in at the end of February and retailers finally had something to look forward to. The excitement started to build as the party industry looked forward to a summer of garden parties and consumers coming together to celebrate those milestones they had missed.
As restrictions eased, the industry rallied to support retailers as they reopened, and despite footfall being slower than after previous lockdowns, the mood remained positive and buoyant throughout.
In June, plans were announced for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, giving a much needed injection of party into the UK for next year. And shortly after that, restrictions were lifted for weddings in the UK, opening up a valuable sector of the industry once again. Then in July, our England team reached the finals of the Euros and gave party retailers the perfect reason to entice shoppers back into stores, despite a rather disappointing conclusion.
The summer also bought its difficulties and the rocketing cost of freight, along with the new Brexit regulations bringing its own challenges for suppliers and retailers alike. But you got through it once again and managed to pull off a hugely successful Halloween, giving the party industry a huge uplift in sales and a much needed injection of hope for a brighter year to come.
Throughout this time, you have been incredible. You have organised online showcases, virtual networking events, set up online marketplaces, launched incredible new products, launched UK divisions of businesses, acquired new companies, signed more licences than ever and so much more, to ensure the industry got through it together. Your positivity, resilience, innovation, humility and humour, in the face of some of the most challenging times we are ever likely to experience, has been inspirational.
It’s been an honour to work with each and every one of you in my first months in the party industry and I really am looking forward to working with you in 2022, which we really hope will be smoother sailing for you all. (Edit from Rob… on behalf of our fantastic friends and clients, thank you Katie for taking the party trade’s editorial chair and providing great news, views and intel for the community – you’re fabulous!)
For now, please try and put your feet up, reflect on how you’ve come through another tough year, and celebrate reaching the end of it. We’ll be raising a glass to you, and we’re looking forward to actually seeing you as soon as we safely can in 2022. Have a great one.
Katie Roberts-Mason
