Bristol Novelty’s Fran Hales talks to PartyWorldwide.net about summer, Halloween and what’s in store for the rest of the year.
Hi Fran, hope you’re well! How’s business been going over Easter and as we approach summer time?
“Business has been very good over Easter, especially off the back of a great World Book Day. With summer approaching, I feel we can sometimes overlook this as a key selling period. It’s why we’ve made a real push with our improved festival range to cater for the growing demand with our accessories in particular. Our new 80s accessories launched this year and they are now available on our website bristolnovelty.com, supporting the wider range of festival favourites including mermaids, hippies and of course quirky novelty costumes.”
That’s good to hear! What sort of things are people asking for at the moment?
“It seems to be all about what people can put on their heads. Orders have been coming in for coloured hairspray and hats, again these are in relation to the festival season. It’s smaller, affordable items that can quickly create a fancy dress look, also easy to pack and travel with for the festival season. The popularity of accessories continues to grow throughout all key sales periods. It’s a good job we are the leading suppliers of accessories in the industry!”
Do party companies see any benefit from the hot weather we’ve been having?
“Absolutely. The warm(ish) weather allows us all to get outside and throw more parties. From BBQ gatherings or family celebrations, the feel good factor is reflected in the increased demand for both party and events. We’ve got a fantastic selection of Hawaiian themed party products in our new Party & Events catalogue. It’s also the prime time for both hen and stag dos. Being in Bristol we are well aware of the huge amount of hen and stag groups who visit our city and this is certainly an area we are looking to develop with our offerings.”
How has business has been throughout 2019 so far in general? Have retailers been proactive in placing orders and sourcing new stock?
“The evolving changes we are making across the business have been reflected so far with the 2019 sales. From our point of view it’s rewarding to see as a business and we thank our customers for their continued support. We had a very successful World Book Day with our new children’s costumes and we are looking to build on this momentum with our Festival range.”
And what about Halloween – have preparations started yet? Is there anything exciting in store? What sort of Halloween are you expecting to see this year?
“Oh yes. Previously we may have been a slow starter when it came to Halloween, that’s all changed. Our Halloween catalogue was released in January and is available on our website. We are particularly excited about the circus inspired costumes we will be stocking, new Rubie’s make-up and our selection of masks, of which includes a very popular LED-inspired version – perfect for dabbling in a bit of ‘purging’ this Halloween. There will be a vast amount of stock in for our customers.”
Is there anything else going on at Bristol Novelty that retailers should know about?
“Plenty, I just don’t have enough space here to mention it all! Very exciting news will be coming out of Bristol Novelty over the next few months, with quite a few major developments. As a progressive business our customers are and will see the benefits of being part of the evolution that’s taking place here. We will continue to bring the best product and service to new and existing customers. You’re the reason we do this, which is why we are here to support and build your businesses.”
