Party Party

Month: Nov/Dec 2014 Issue 4 Volume 15

Bring the

PARTYto life...

My Little Pony

One Direction Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Frozen

Minions

...with our

licensed ranges 1st-5th February 2015, NEC Brimingham, Hall 3 Stand R20-S21 & S20-T21

TEL: +44 (0)1908 288 500 E-MAIL: sales@amscan-uk.co.uk WEB: www.amscan.co.uk 20th-22nd January 2015, Olympia Kensington, Stand B75

©Amscan 2014, ©Anagram 2014 All rights reserved

contents November/December 2014 Issue 10 Volume 14

Party Party team

Regulars 7

Leader with Rhys Thomas

8

News – what’s the latest?

9

Party Patter – we check in with independent retailers

10

Exhibition News – updates from the trade show calendar

12

Licensing News – the latest from the licensing world

14

What’s New – unmissable new products

15

Quick fire round – with Charlotte Cox, Marketing Executive, Amscan

16

Retail Interview – with Thingimijigs

Editor Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

18

Advertisement Manager Paul Yeomans pyeomans@lemapublishing.co.uk

Features Publishing Director Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director

18

Theme Nights – we look at the top themes driving dress-up sales

28

Foil balloons – this balloon category is shining bright!

36

Face Paints and Body Art – the latest from this creative category

Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Special Report Managing Director

37

Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

At the heart of retail The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.

Halloween Dream – three premiere party suppliers told us what sold best this Halloween, and what to keep an eye out for next year

28

Columnist 26

Talk to an Angel – what should retailers do during the quiet, early months of the year?

Emma Angel explains

34

Mark Brett gives us his rather candid lowdown

38

The Word – BAPIA’s John Bowler makes a special announcement

39

Recipe of the month – boost sales with this month’s balloon design

Flip Cover Special R H Smith & Sons celebrates its 120th anniversary with a special flip cover this issue. Flip your copy over to find out how the company is investing in you, and the bestselling dress-up you can’t afford to miss!

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Ξ ϮϬϭϰ sŝĂĐŽŵ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů /ŶĐ͘ ůů ZŝŐŚƚƐ ZĞƐĞƌǀĞĚ͘ EŝĐŬĞůŽĚĞŽŶ͕ dĞĞŶĂŐĞ DƵƚĂŶƚ EŝŶũĂ dƵƌƚůĞƐ ĂŶĚ Ăůů ƌĞůĂƚĞĚ ƟƚůĞƐ͕ ůŽŐŽƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌƐ ĂƌĞ ƚƌĂĚĞŵĂƌŬƐ ŽĨ sŝĂĐŽŵ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů /ŶĐ͘

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Rhys Thomas

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T

here’s no better time to join the party industry than slap-bang in the middle of Halloween, Christmas and New Year, three hugely important dates on the party calendar. The keen eyed among you will have seen me crop up from time to time dressed in some fantastic outfits; last month’s leader saw the return of me in Opposuits’ eye-catching Testival suit, and I look forward to continuing my modelling career in future issues.

It has been a great pleasure to speak to all the suppliers, manufacturers and retailers for my first issue of Party Party. There’s lots of excitement and it’s always promising to find that, by all accounts, everyone has had a strong year.

I turned 25 this year, but that doesn’t hold a candle to R H Smith & Sons, which is celebrating its 120th birthday - an incredible achievement Speaking of Halloween, we caught up with three of the UK’s top party suppliers to find out what their bestsellers were during this year’s spooky celebrations and what to look out for next year. There’s no excuse for party-goers not to dress up in 2015, with Halloween falling on a Saturday, so we can expect some extra business. You can find more on that on page 37.

I have to admit that Halloween is a personal favourite of mine, not just because I love to slap on the gore, but the 31st is also my birthday. In a strange way, between all the Halloween costumes I’ve worn over the years, and the fact that I’ve marked all my major age milestones with a Halloween party, I’ve unwittingly been in training for this new role my whole life!

I turned 25 this year, but that doesn’t hold a candle to R H Smith & Sons, which is celebrating its 120th birthday - an incredible achievement. The Party Party team travelled up to the Gainsborough head office to raise a glass and find out how the team has been celebrating. You can read all about that in our very special flip cover. Simply flip your magazine over to find out how the company behind Smiffys and Fever is investing in the future health

of the industry, and what happened when a freak flood left the office a little damp back in June!

For any big celebration or party, balloons are a must. The wow factor of foil balloons make them a perfect centre-piece and their well documented popularity on Valentine’s Day continues. You can check out the latest foil balloon releases on page 28. As a bonus, resident balloon design expert, Sue Bowler, has put together an extra special ‘Valentine’s Guy’ sculpture in this month’s Balloon Recipe on page 39. Combining romance and foil balloons, it’s a match made in heaven.

But you don’t have to be celebrating a big occasion to get dressed up. Theme nights are as popular as ever and a big driver behind the sale of fancy dress. You can find out what themes have partygoers getting in character on page 18. Plus, Hollywood-grade temporary transfers and role-play face paint kits for kids lead the charge for body art, which you can find out more about on page 36.

We also spoke to Thingimijigs, the online retailer for busy mums, to find out how party products fit in with their offering.

It’s certainly an interesting read, which you can find on page 16. Plus, we spoke to some independent retailers on page 9 to gauge how 2014 has shaped up, how they merchandise their shop and more. We look forward to speaking to more of you for the full-year report from the shop floor following the Christmas rush.

Party Party will be back in the New Year with everything you need to plan your visit to Spring Fair. Next year’s show is shaping up to be a fantastic one for the party industry, and the Party Party team can’t wait to see all the fantastic new products.

It’s full steam ahead now to the end-ofyear celebrations. It’s one of the busiest times of the year for any retailer, but certainly an exciting and profitable one for party shops. Hopefully we can all take a quick break and enjoy the fantastic party products ourselves.

Have a great time however you choose to party through into the New Year, and we’ll see you all in 2015!

NEWS GOSH, the party industry is generous!

BAPIA is continuing to build its relationship with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH). The charity recently came to BAPIA with a request for some balloons to brighten up the children’s Halloween party and create a real party atmosphere.

Of course, the party industry stepped up, with Amscan and Qualatex supplying foil balloons and BOC sending across some helium to show the balloons at their best and give the party a real lift!

The high profile of GOSH is a great platform to spread the positive message of parties. The event made it into The Daily Star with a two-page spread, and regular volunteers congratulated everyone who contributed to the party, commenting that it was the best they had seen it.

John Bowler, Chief Executive of BAPIA, said that there hasn’t been a person, company or organisation that hasn’t wanted to get involved in some way since BAPIA first became involved with GOSH. “It is extremely humbling and impressive to see people offering their time, services and products,” he said. “I really cannot express how grateful I am but more importantly how grateful GOSH is and what a difference it makes to the children at the hospital.

Thank You!”

Dubai balloon conference goes off with(out) a bang!

Balloon artists from around the world gathered for the first-ever balloon conference in Dubai in October. The Great Arabian Balloon Adventure, held at the Novotel Al Barsha, also brought six of the world’s top balloon instructors from Europe and America together to share their knowledge over 24 classes for retailers, decorators and entertainers. John Preston, the event’s Director, said: “Dubai is a great place to hold this event. The city aims to produce the biggest and the best, and we are wanting to create the biggest and the best balloon sculptures the world has ever seen”

Rubie’s Masquerade acquires Bristol Novelty Rubie’s Masquerade Co. UK Ltd. has acquired Bristol Novelty Ltd. The directors of both firms announced that Bristol Novelty had joined the Rubie’s family of companies on Friday, 28 November 2014.“We are absolutely thrilled to have reached an agreement to bring Bristol Novelty into the Rubie’s family,” said Rubie’s Vice-President EMEA & Australia, Chris Isitt. “It is a strong, independent and profitable business with the potential for considerable further growth, and an ideal complement to our existing licensed business in Europe. “We are also delighted that both Chris and Kevin Bater have committed to the new structure for the next few years.

Their immense contribution to the Bristol Novelty business over the last 30 years has been the foundation of the company’s success. We look forward to working with them and their excellent team to expand the product line and distribution channels for 2015.” Chris and Kevin Bater, joint Managing Directors, confirmed that the new Bristol Novelty has exciting expansion plans, and is looking forward to taking advantage of the many brands available from the Rubie’s group and the opportunities presented by its European distribution base.

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Opposuits attract award The young, creative team at OppoSuits are used to receiving nods of approval, laughter and raised eyebrows in reaction to their range of irreverent suits. But now the Dutch company has received something a little more official: the award for Best Small/Medium Enterprise, which they picked up at the Golden Bridge Trade & Export Award in London on Thursday 20 November 2014.

The group of finalists consisted of innovative and successful Dutch companies exporting to the UK, and represented a diverse range of businesses. This year marked the awards’ 18th edition, hosted by the Netherlands-British Chambers of Commerce (NBCC).

OppoSuits was named winner, praised for its creativity, growth and potential for taking the international fancy dress market by storm with a bold and quality fashion concept.

The NBCC said: “The jury was impressed by the fact that in just a couple of years, the company has grown into a staggering multi-million pound business servicing both consumers and retailers in more than 50 countries around the world”.

Pictured: OppoSuits cofounders collect their award, (L-R): Guus Bakker, Jasper Castelein and Jelle van der Zwet

Party Patter! s rty love Party Pa ws! your vie r a e h o t ughts our tho Share y now! with us email:

k ing.co.u

h apublis m e l @ s y rh

Regular

Party Patter!

P Party Party talks to retailers to find out the latest word on the street

Becky Lee-Allen, Frog Orange Party, Oxford, Oxfordshire Becky Lee-Allen and her partner Lucy are party industry veterans.

Their newest store opened three years ago, and they have a burgeoning corporate and private balloon decorating business.

How has 2014 been for you?

Certainly a lot better than 2013, and slightly better than our opening year. We’ve only had this store open for three years, but it’s certainly promising looking to the year ahead.

How was Halloween for you and what was popular?

It was our best ever Halloween, and although we’ve only had the shop for three years we broke all records by a mile. We had queues out the door and our accessories did the best. We ordered in the new Tinsley Transfers FX tattoos from

Angels and they sold out!

What do you predict will be the big themes or trends of 2015?

We always try and look for things that are a little bit different, so we’re not really trend driven. Halloween is the best time of the year for us and Witches sold really well this year, so I’d put my money on that.

How do you merchandise your store and how important is it?

We always dress up for seasonal events. We got all face-painted up for Halloween this year; it’s the perfect advert and a great way to show off the product ‘in the flesh’ so to speak. Our balloon business means we can create some fantastic balloon displays and we have a nice amount of space to show them off.

What did you go as at your last fancy dress party?

It was an eighties-themed party, and I went as Adam Ant! Who else?

Kirsty Hart, The Card and Party Shop, Harleston, Norfolk Party retailing is in Kirsty’s blood. Her family have run shop for 16 years, and she has recently begun to take a more central role.

How has 2014 been for you?

It’s certainly been busier towards the end, especially Halloween which is always a good time of year for us. Children in Need was a surprisingly busy event for us this year. The kids all dressed up for the super heroes theme, and that’s a strong theme for us anyway.

How was Halloween for you and what was popular?

Halloween was great. Face

paints, blood and accessories all sold well.

Werewolves seemed to be really popular, but anything spooky really.

What do you predict will be the big themes or trends of 2015?

Super heroes will continue to be popular, they always are and the new movies coming out make them even more so.

How do you merchandise your store and how important is it?

Our shop is quite small, so there’s no space for big balloon displays. We always take advantage of our window displays though. Star Cutouts’ life-sized super heroes and Disney products always draw the customers in. We dress up mannequins as well, depending on the season.

What did you go as at your last fancy dress party?

I think I actually went as a Gangster, which was good fun!

www.partypartymag.co.uk

9

E XHIBITION NEWS Get ahead for Halloween 2015!

Your weekly slice of Christmas You could become the star of the sector thanks to the new Webspecial for Christmasworld 2015.

To shorten the time to Christmasworld 2015, the sector highlight in Frankfurt am Main between 30 January and 3 February, the team at show organisers Messe Frankfurt has put together something special online. Each week the new Webspecial will offer valuable information on visiting the fair, impulses, hints and ideas, and advice from the experts on how to be even more successful in day-to-day business.

There is also an invitation to take part in a competition, with every twentieth participant who answers correctly winning two admission tickets for the show! Interested? Then take the plunge and head over to www.christmasworld-at-its-best.com.

Held annually in Frankfurt, Christmasworld presents the latest products and trends for all festivities of the year and provides innovative concept ideas for decorating large-scale and outdoor areas for the wholesale and retail trades, shopping centres, DIY markets and the green sector.

Toy Fair TV is back!

The British Toy and Hobby Association today confirmed Toy Fair TV is to return for its third year - at Toy Fair 2015.

Hosted by TV presenters Anna Williamson and Gavin Inskip, Toy Fair TV will film live across the show floor and in the Toy Fair TV studio.

Toy Fair TV will be broadcast live on 24 screens around Olympia throughout all three days of Toy Fair 2015.

Toy Fair, the UK’s only dedicated toy, games, and hobby trade exhibition, returns to West London’s Olympia on Tuesday 20 through to Thursday 22 January 2015. Registration is now open at www.toyfair.co.uk. Apply now for a free pass and to avoid a £15 entrance charge.

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The Halloween and Party Expo, which runs from February 6-9 2015 in New Orleans, will showcase educational sessions.

Visually appealing party and costume stores always get the most foot traffic, and where there are shoppers, there are sales. At the Expo, Linda Cahan of Cahan and Associates will offer advice for maintaining the best store front possible.

At the Expo, Anne M. Obarski, Executive Director of Merchandise Concepts will offer tips on how to train a fantastic customer service team and suggest moves managers can take to create happier, more productive employees. Small business owners looking to build a strong team and make the most of networking and technology can also pick up some tips from Dave Fellman, President of David Fellman and Associates on how smaller retailers can stay visible in an expansive marketplace.

Potential attendees can visit halloweenpartyexpo. com to learn more about these sessions and other fun and informative events taking place at the Halloween and Party Expo, as well as register to attend for free. And with retail sales going up this Halloween season, so are booth sales and registration numbers for the 2015 Halloween & Party Expo.

“Sales are always best when Halloween falls on the weekend,” says Kim Dean, the lead buyer for Wally’s Party Factory, a large chain of Halloween and party-supplies stores in Texas and Oklahoma.

The 2015 Expo promises to have an even better roster of exhibitors, as the space on the show floor has almost reached maximum capacity.

Products: Present Time, Burgon & Ball, J-Me, Suck UK, Present Time, Burgon & Ball

INSPIRING BUYING IN 2015 THE NEWEST PRODUCTS, INNOVATIONS AND TRENDS FROM OVER 3,000 EXHIBITORS. REGISTER FOR YOUR COMPLIMENTARY TICKET AT WWW.SPRINGFAIR.COM/PARTYPARTY

Licensing News

1D perform centredesk!

Boy band sensation, One Direction, is coming to a desk near you.

Mask-arade has revealed a new line of high quality desktop standees featuring the famous fivepiece. Fully licensed, fans can pick up their very own standee of Harry, Zayn, Louis, Niall or Liam – or perhaps all five!

Perfect for Christmas stocking fillers or as a secret santa present, the life-like cutouts also come wrapped in fantastic new packaging. The whole line is available now.

Contact orders@mask-arade.com or call 01926 814292 to order.

Frozen dressup drives Disney growth Disney’s revenues are up, in part, due to licensed costumes and dressup. The Walt Disney Company has reported a 7% Q4 revenue increase, driven largely by the strong performance of its releases at the box office this summer, and the continued momentum of Frozen and Marvel licensed products.

Frozen, a brand that has snowballed over Disney’s Elsa From Frozen the past 12 months, has Deluxe Costume Dress For Kids given Disney its latest merchandising hit. The entertainment giant said last month that its Frozen licensed dress-up products were particularly popular and counted for a significant chunk of its consumer product sales. As of November, Disney had sold three million Frozen princess costumes.

The Frozen brand helped boost full year consumer product sales by 7%, leaving the division standing at $1.1b.

These earnings give The Walt Disney Company its fourth consecutive year of record revenues.

Are you a licensing guru?

LIMA is calling on all ideas-people to come forward. If you have a session idea for the Licensing University at Licensing Expo 2015 in Vegas next June, now is the time to get your proposal together, because submissions are due on December 19, 2014.

As always, the sessions that comprise Licensing University will cover a broad range of topics affecting everyone who has an interest in licensing. Through workshops and panels, the sessions will explore key licensing topics and trends, as well as provide networking opportunities.

The Licensing University program will run between 8 June and 11 June. Topics of particular interest for the Licensing University in 2015 include consumer spending trends, music and celebrity licensing, sports licensing, fashion licensing, retail strategies and trends, and more.

For more information contact Marty Brochstein at mbrochstein@licensing.org.

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Design for life Pioneer launches an exciting new line of quality design-led partyware

Introducing: Rachel Ellen Partyware Pioneer is recognised by balloon professionals worldwide for its range of leading latex, Microfoil® balloons and Bubble balloons. Now, in partnership with award-winning artist Rachel Ellen, Pioneer offers a designer line of partyware at affordable prices that is sure to delight and impress your customers!

Rachel Ellen, formerly a professional ballet dancer, started her greetings card and stationery company by hand painting cards literally from the kitchen table in her London apartment. A year later her future husband Justin, also a former ballet dancer (they met in Phantom of the Opera in the West End), joined the company and together they

have achieved great success.

A multi-award winning company, Rachel Ellen Designs recently joined Pioneer Europe Ltd. to produce partyware. The Pioneer Qualatex® brand is associated with the very best quality balloon products and its Partyware is no exception. The Bunting and Party bags are made of paper as opposed to plastic.

The Paper Cups are suitable to hold hot drinks, the Napkins are of 3-ply quality, the Paper Plates are sturdy with good quality coating, and the Table Cover can be reused again and again. All six products come in popular children’s themes such as Pirate, Princess, Knight and Ballerina.

Pioneer Europe Ltd. offers the Partyware Starter Kit at a very special price. The Kit includes the entire range of Partyware and comes with a FREE Spinner Stand that displays the entire product line neatly and takes up very little shop floor space.

This is the perfect product line for any party, gift or toy retailer to expand its offering and increase sales.

Partyware from

New improved pricing. Order today!

Exclusive partyware designed by award-winning artist, Rachel Ellen. The range includes top quality Bunting, Party Bags, Paper Cups, Table Covers, Napkins and Paper Plates–available in four popular children’s themes–Pirate, Princess, Knight and Ballerina.

www.rachelellen.co.uk

Pioneer® Europe Limited, 9 Stortford Hall Industrial Park, Dunmow Road, Bishops Stortford. CM23 5GZ Tel: +44 (0)1279 501 090 Fax: +44(0)1279 501 091 Freephone: 0800 28 12 15 E-mail: pelorder@qualatex.com www.qualatex.com www.thequalatexevent.com

Tel: +44 (0)1279 501 090 Web: www.thequalatexevent.com ©2014 PBC SB-PP1410023

Rachel Ellen designs licensed by KJG Ltd

www.partypartymag.co.uk

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Regular New products

Party Party focuses on some of the hottest items on the market this month

Party splasher!

Amscan

www.amscan.co.uk 01908 288500 Amscan has announced the arrival of a brand new range of SpongeBob SquarePants party products, available to order now!

The global appeal of this humourous character is phenomenal, and what’s more, he is set to star in ‘The SpongeBob SquarePants movie: Sponge Out of Water’ to be released in UK cinemas March 2015.

The new range incorporates vibrant colours with the instantly recognisable characters and is sure to be a hit with SpongeBob fans. Products consist of everything your customers would need to hold a fantastic party – from tableware to birthday letter banners, invitations and more.

Not forgetting Amscan also have a fantastic selection of SpongeBob foil balloons!

Get in character!

Fun Shack

www.fun-shack.com 0113 2001050 Just arrived in stock, Fun Shack’s latest range of fun children’s costumes is ideal for World Book Day. The latest releases offer something fun for every girl or boy, so order now!

Animal magic Amscan

www.amscan.co.uk 01908 288500 Based on the popular animated TV and toy collection, Amscan has launched a brand new party range featuring The Littlest Pet Shop, The 10-piece range is fully coordinated with designs incorporating Blythe, Penny Ling the sweet Panda, Minka Mark the hyper monkey and Zoe Trent, a purple dog who loves to sing. This fun, girly range is ideal for young animal lovers who are fans of the show and the toys. From tableware to letter banners and loot bags the range has everything to set the scene for a wild time!

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Becoming Batman!

Mask-arade

01926 814292 www.mask-arade.com Mask-arade has launched three super masks in association with Rubie’s Masquerade from the Warner Brother’s Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Trilogy. Fans can don the mask of the Dark Knight himself, Catwoman, or even Batman’s arch nemesis, the Joker.

These brilliant masks are among the most effective that the midlands firm has ever released and the team expects this to translate into strong sales in 2015. The masks are available to order now, so don’t delay!

Quick Fire

Round

Quick Fire Round with…

Charlotte Cox – Marketing Executive Amscan International Ltd Childhood idol?

Favourite team?

Cinderella

Liverpool

Present idol?

Most watched film?

Karen Brady from the Apprentice

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Favourite band?

The 1975 Best beverage?

Disaronno and coke Favourite food?

Chocolate Favourite curry?

Chicken Bhuna Most frequented restaurant?

Las Iguanas

What occupies most of your spare time?

Spending time with friends and family, and running Last fancy dress costumer you wore?

Zebra onesie Motto?

Don’t count the days, make the days count!

www.partypartymag.co.uk

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Retail Thingimijigs

It’s all about the Party Party talks to online retailer Thingimijigs Ltd to learn more about its growing success over the past decade

S

uccessful online retailer, Thingimijigs Ltd, based in Burnley, is currently undergoing a huge extension to its business with the help of a 10,000 square foot warehouse. The online retailer that first started from a kitchen table over ten years ago now sells more than 2,500 different lines of children’s gifts and accessories both nationwide and globally to countries including USA, Australia, France, Germany and Israel. We talk to Managing Director Rachael White to learn more about the company’s unstoppable success...

How long has your store been running?

We established the business in 2004, so we are celebrating our 10-year anniversary this year.

Talk us through how the company has grown over the years?

We started as a kitchen table company, with no premises. And now, 10 years later, we have a turnover of £1.3million per annum! We are just about to complete a move to a new purpose built 10,000 square foot warehouse having outgrown

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our previous two warehouses.

What have been the highlights since opening the store?

For me, it is seeing the staff we have grow as a team, as we all work together to make sure the orders are out in time for the customers and that we offer the best customer service possible.

In terms of product selection, what guides you?

Magazine articles, the ‘vibes’ I get from trade fairs and the most honest one of all – my three children! There is no sales patter with kids – they will tell you if they like a product, or not, or if their friends would like to play with it.

How important is fancy dress for you?

We have approximately 100 different fancy dress costumes. Our biggest event that is most popular is World Book Day. Unfortunately we do not do as well as we would like at Halloween when it comes fancy dress, which I think is due to the supermarkets’ availability and pricing; we simply cannot compete on this. I also think that Halloween can be a last minute thing, depending if children are trick or treating or not.

How do you predict what will sell?

With advice from the children and looking at past trends. There are a lot of different things that come into this, but sometimes it can be just as much of a gut feeling for a licence and/or product How do you decide on a price point?

We have margins that we have to work to – like many other businesses, we have the fixed overhead costs of premises and staff, and although there is the misconception that online traders have cheaper overheads, our postage costs per annum (over 150K), are something we take seriously (as with Royal Mail it depends on the size of the item, not necessarily the weight). This means that some of the lower price point pocket money items are not worth us stocking if they have to go packet rather than large letter.

Which party product is your bestseller?

Fancy dress costumes – across the board, depending on the time of year, depends on which costume. Frozen Elsa costume anyone?

What is the strongest category?

Again, this depends on the time of year –

March is Costumes for Books Day, August is Backpacks and Lunchbags for Back to school, the run-up to Christmas sees the uplift in all categories.

Do you sell licensed products? Which is the most popular?

In the short term and most recently it would have to be Frozen and Despicable Me 2. But long-term, it is still Jake and the Neverland Pirates, as well as Thomas the Tank Engine.

Which is your strongest licensed range?

Licensed Backpacks do especially well.

What have been your top sellers in 2014?

Frozen costumes, Minions Backpack, Disney Princess Make-up Set. How do you see the state of the party industry currently?

I think that the lower price items still do well, but we notice that customers may not purchase full ranges, and may pick and choose items for a party, so that the feel of the party is there, but that some savings have been made, ie. maybe they purchase the party plates and tablecloth but miss out the cups etc. These are usually not noticed, but can save the customer money.

smaller age group, as these parties tend to stay at home, but in the slightly older age range, third-party parties (ie. at venues), are taking away the homegrown party, and impact on the items that customers purchase, as they do not need the full range if someone else is providing food or entertainment.

What is your personal favourite product that you stock?

I Love the 20-piece girls’ hair sets as they are so cute – they make great party bag gifts and little girls love the pictures on the clips and bobbles.

What do you see for the future of the party industry?

I think this will remain fairly static in the

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Feature Theme Nights

Hello sailor!

Themed party nights are an absolute blast for anyone who attends them. As more and more people get to grips with letting their hair down and dressing up, Party Party takes a look at this dynamic sector which is brimming with fun, frivolity and sales

I

f you take your lead from the great Dolly Parton, you’re no doubt workin’ 9 to 5, Monday to Friday.

Although granted, those are not exactly the working hours of a regular party retailer - your customers, however, are a different story.

So once the weekend comes, they want to leave their hair down and there is nothing a vast section of the adult population like doing more than releasing their inner sailor, nurse, doctor or ancient Egyptian.

As a party retailer, it is your job to supply them with the most fantastical of dress-up products, but as with most things, fashion plays a part in this sector.

“

Trudi Pijnacker, Operations Manager with Legs Avenue

So what is hot and what’s not on the dress-up scene today?

Trudi Pijnacker, Operations Manager with Leg Avenue Europe says that in terms of popularity, they are seeing sales in their military uniforms and pirate collections.

“But don’t forget the German Beer Girls for all the Oktoberfest parties!,” she adds.

Trudi explains that regardless of the occasion, the dress-up themes mentioned are always popular. “They suit every occasion be it a themed party, a hen night, Halloween, New Year’s eve and even Carnival. These costumes can basically be worn throughout the whole year and it’s an easy option when you want to look good and feel sexy.”

So what is selling?

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Alone with the obvious price-point, key for any retailer is knowing what is going to sell well.

Trudi also points out that for a themed party, it is key that everybody understands the theme. So what are people buying?

“We see that the accessories and the ready-towear costumes like military and uniform have done extremely well, like every year. We still see big demand in traditional characters in a new original and risqué design. We believe this was the combination people were looking for.”

“These costumes can basically be worn throughout the whole year and it’s an easy option when you want to look good and feel sexy”

www.partypartymag.co.uk www.partypartymag.co.uk

”

Who doesn’t love a good theme?!

Like any fashion store, because in one sense, party retailers are fashion-led stores, trends are important.

So what should you be stocking up on for 2015?

Look towards the licensing side of things with superheros and fairytales.

“We believe the themes next year won’t change drastically. However, we think that superheroinspired costumes

will become more popular, as well fairytale inspired costumes. Everybody understands these themes,” Trudi points out.

“More and more movies are inspired by comics and fairytales. Evidently more costumes are inspired by these movies.

People love to escape from reality by dressing up as someone different, someone they look up to for a night or two. It is definitely something people enjoy doing and will enjoy doing for a long time.”

So with that in mind, make sure your store is brimming with lots of lovely dress-up and watch your customers transform.

Feature Theme Nights

Panto party night!

Party the night away

actingtheparty

Amscan

www.actingtheparty. co.uk mail@actingtheparty. co.uk Acting the Party usually produce party games for children, with varying themes.

However, they have one unusual theme that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

And it is very much a seasonal party – this is a ‘Pantomime’ party!

So how does it work?

Well, the game comes in a small plastic case, similar to those holding DS games, but inside it has a USB memory stick.

On it are MP3 files and PDFs. The idea is that you print out the PDFs and play the audio. The audio has entertainment lasting an hour and a half, with the puzzles and games played when told to do so by the narrator.

The narrator for this party is Graham Seed, the actor who played Nigel Pargetter in The Archers. He gets everyone up and acting, singing and dancing to a humourous story, not unlike Cinderella – the main character being Ashley-Ella.

You can play with four people upwards more than 10 people though and some of the characters need to be ‘doubled up’.

The story has great production music and sound effects to help the ‘actors’ along.

There are no scripts to learn or read out, just simple actions making it akin to charades with backing vocals!

Within the story are games, puzzles and carols – with one of the carols having lyrics like no other! All of these are on the PDFs ready for you to print out and play. You can bring extra props should you wish, and if you happen to have a pantomime cow outfit lying around, there is a little scene for you to wear it in.

Acting the Party was founded by Claire Hainstock, who recently received two awards at the British Invention Show for her new product.

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www.amscan.co.uk 01908 288500 When it comes to themed nights Amscan has it covered with a diverse collection of party products from the classic rock ‘n’ roll ‘50s theme to the neon-coloured totally ‘rad’ ‘80s ensemble. In addition to ranges on other popular themes like Western, Casino and Hollywood, Amscan has everything to completely transform a setting into something spectacular.

Amscan’s largest themed party collection is the ever-popular Hawaiian collection including more than 125 products. There is a huge variety to choose from to create a totally tropical paradise! New additions to the range this year include nine vibrant decorations, such as cut-outs, hanging decorations, centrepieces and garlands with designs highlighting the hibiscus flower; a key symbol of the Hawaiian trend.

What makes this theme so popular is that it is perfectly suited to all ages, the bright tropical colours are sure to get everyone into a party mood, party guests can easily dress up to look the part. The collection includes a wide choice of hula skirts, leis and accessories in sizes to fit both children and adults. The new Hula Girl kits include a full outfit, so are a great impulse buy for customers that need to find something to wear fast!

No masking quality Bristol Novelty 0117 972 4012 www.bristolnovelty.co.uk When it comes to theme nights during the Christmas and New Year period, no-one is better placed to offer such a comprehensive range of costume accessories than Bristol Novelty.

The company has already seen a few spikes for our Masquerade Eyes Masks and expects this to increase as we head into the winter festival ball season. Bristol Novelty has over 500 high-quality eyemasks and continue to increase their range each year, maintaining their reputation as leading supplier for costume accessories.

30. 1 – 3. 2. 2015

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Get the latest information

Feature Theme Nights

Fun times ahead Fun Shack 0113 200 1050 www.fun-shack.com

Get creative

Theme nights have always been a popular option for fancy dress parties but they are becoming increasingly popular as people are more creative and innovative in their approach to what they class as a theme party – just about every character or costume can be classed under a theme.

With New Year’s Eve on the horizon, there will be many theme parties to be had, and Fun Shack can already see which themes will be a popular choice. At Fun Shack, the decades are proving to be a popular choice, with the ‘20s, ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘80s looking to be the winners.

Fun Shack has a wide range of high-quality costumes at affordable prices, ideal for any themed party.

Creative Party www.creativepartyltd.com Tel: 01202 590222 Theme nights are a trend that never go out of style and they provide a great excuse to get dressed up and celebrate with friends!

Creative Party has theme party ideas suitable for any event and for a variety of ages. With New Year’s Eve fast approaching, why not make your party stand out from the rest by hosting a theme night?

The Reel Hollywood Theme will add a touch of Hollywood glam to any evening. The easy-stick room decorating panel and imitation red carpet will make guests feel like a celebrity for the night!

Creative Party’s brilliant Card Night range enables any room to be turned into a fabulous casino. Experienced poker players and beginners alike will love the bold red and black colours of the theme. The Card Night Cookie Cutter set can also be used for savoury snacks such as sandwiches and pizzas, making it an ideal addition to a stylish New Year’s Eve bash.

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Party on me hearties InCharacter 0845 180 6545 distribution@angels.uk.com www.angelsdistribution.co.uk Pirate parties are popular all year round and you can make a statement with the whole family getting in on the action with InCharacter. For the babies, there is Cap’n Stinker, Tweens Swashbucklin’ Sass, Teens Pirate Babe and for the adults Pretty Pirate, Buccaneer Beauty (part of the plus size range) and Dead Man’s Chest.

A theme for everyone Leg Avenue 00 31 24 240 3444 www.legavenueeurope.com Leg Avenue truly has something for everyone with their exciting range. A real hit this year is the military theme but don’t restrict yourself! Here are some of the highlights from Leg Avenue: Mix and match your outfit to create a unique look. This Swat body harness (pictured right) with garter IPhone holder and walkie talkie cord is ideal for mix and match. Only for the brave ladies, the set includes a propeller cone bra top with duel strap detail, high waist skirt with bomb aced, arm cuff and matching hat.

Alternatively, drive your enemy crazy in the sexy “Camo Doll” costume set. The set includes a romper with net panel detail, belt and matching hat.

Lederhosen were never as pretty as they are in the “Edelweiss Lederhosen” costume set, which includes an embroidered stretch velveteen lederhosen with authentic bub suspenders and matching peasant top.

Then there’s the Storybook Cinderella Costume Set with Sequin Corset, Tutu Skirt, Arm Puffs, Choker And Headband or the Costume Set Psycho Nurse Sally, Garter Dress, Face Mask, Arm Piece And Headpiece.

Feature Theme Nights

Join the Party and Increase your sales!

Qualetex Tel: 0800 28 12 15 Web: www.thequalatexevent.com

Something for everyone Neviti Tel: 0845 638 1358 www.neviti.com Neviti’s collections are great for creating a party theme with a wide selection of designs boasting co-ordinating tableware, decorations and stationery. Keep Calm And Party On is an enduringly popular theme for adult celebrations right now with a generic party collection suitable for all special occasions or specific items to celebrate 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th and 80th Birthdays. The collection features a fun spin on the Keep Calm Slogan with text such as ‘Keep Calm You’re Only 50’ on table confetti, bunting and balloons and ‘Keep Calm and wipe up’ on the ranges’ vibrant party napkins. The range is great for creating a theme across all aspects of a celebration and is especially perfect for those who are finding reaching that landmark birthday a slightly unnerving prospect, offering an element of humour with its message instructing to ‘Keep Calm and Party On’. For children’s parties Neviti really do have a theme for everyone with collections from robots to pirates and owls to fairies. The Dear Zoo collection is fantastic for themed celebrations, with the opportunity for every child to become their favourite character from the bestselling book with the ranges’ fun party masks. The masks come in packs of 8 and include the books’ popular monkey, frog, elephant and lion characters. As well as a beautiful selection of tableware, the collection includes co-ordinating invitations – the perfect way to get guests excited about a theme before celebrations begin – and co-ordinating party bags and bubbles (the perfect parting gift for party guests).

Themed parties are becoming more and more popular and not just for birthday celebrations, but for other seasonal occasions and events such as baby showers. Neviti has noticed an increased demand for extra items that co-ordinate with the collections such as party games, thank you cards and invites carrying the party theme across every aspect of your celebration.

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Mardi Gras is all about music, parades, food, floats and excitement! It’s a holiday celebrated annually in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Clad in the bright colours of purple, green and gold, and adorned with long colourful beads, Mardi Gras is celebrated on the streets of New Orleans and in private celebrations around the world.

Over the years, Mardi Gras celebrations have taken off in popularity, and along with this, costumes and decorations including balloon decor have exploded. Due to popular demand, Pioneer Europe Ltd. has updated and refreshed its Qualatex collection of Masquerade balloons to enhance any party decor. Masquerade designs are now available in a 22” Bubble Balloon, an 11” latex, and a 3” latex.

Qualetex’s Masquerade themed balloons are perfect for birthdays, proms and other year-round Mardi Gras-themed events. Co-ordinating products from Qualatex make it easy to transform a room with inspiration from just one design for festive and profitable décor.

The drinks are on me Rasta Imposta 0845 180 6545 distribution@angels.uk.com www.angelsdistribution.co.uk Rasta Imposta’s ever-expanding range of entertaining costumes will ensure this year’s celebrations are the best yet! Ladies can enter into the party spirit by choosing the brand-new Wine Bottle and Beer Mug fitted outfits perfect for toasting the birthday boy or girl. Men can also get in on the action with larger-than-life foam cut-outs of Vodka and Get Real Beer Pint, available in one-size-fits-most. Or, if you want to dress as a couple, Beer Girl and Beer Man are great for a celebration; or you could always pair the Wine Bottle and Cheese costumes!

Get Real Pink Cupcake, Ice Cream Sundae and Sweet Eats Cupcake are all great options for partygoers who enjoy the sweeter things in life.

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028 9064 5655 palmeragencies.com @palmeragencies

Regular Talking with an Angel

Spring into 2015!

Top retailer, Emma Angel, Director of Angels costume house, gives her view on getting set for the big dates in early 2015 and highlights some dates which may unexpectedly result in great sales for you

I

“

Emma Angel is Director of Angels, the world’s largest and longest-established costume house. Emma has over 20 years experience in Fancy Dress and Angels has two stores, fancy dress website – www.fancydress.com and is the UK distributor of Rasta Imposta, InCharacter and Tinsley Transfers. Emma is the sixth generation of the family to work for the Oscarwinning company and is the first female member to take on a directorial role at Angels.

t may not be the most exciting becoming one of Fast month in the calendar, but the biggest fancy January really is a great time dress events of becoming to start that spring clean you the year, Book one of the just haven’t had time for until Week takes place biggest now, and to fully prepare for the between the fancy dress year ahead. After the excitement 3rd and the 7th (and stress) of Christmas, any of March, and is events of retail environment isn’t as tidy and definitely worth the year, organised as it could be, and it will planning for. Why Book Week be Halloween again before you not call local know it! Even something as simple primary schools takes place as wiping down all costume packets between 3rd in January to find and making sure shelves are given out what titles and the 7th an extra thorough clean creates the children will of March the sense of a new beginning and be reading this will make things a lot easier in the term in order to upcoming months. It also provides anticipate demand an excellent opportunity to retrieve for particular any stock that might have been lost down costumes? Otherwise, there are the back of shelves or tidied away in the dark classic costumes that are always corners of stock rooms: you don’t want to hugely popular, and watch out have to tell a customer you’re out of Easter for any film releases that might bunny outfits only to find another five hidden spark interest in the original in the back of a cupboard a week later. books. Paddington Bear, for Following a Spring Clean, the logical next example, may well step is to do a clear-out. January, with all its make a very big appearance sales, is a time when most people are thinking during Book Week in 2015! about grabbing a bargain, and if you can set March also brings St. Patricks Day and up a few sales bins with any excess stock you Purim – both big events in the fancy dress want to get rid of, you can quite easily attract calendar that need to be planned for in the forward-thinking customer who wants to the early new year. The popularity of St. be ahead of the game for 2015.

Patrick’s Day seems to grow year on year, It goes without saying that fancy dress is and costume retailers have responded particularly popular amongst the student enthusiastically with an increasing range of population, but did you know that they also outfits and accessories. create a significant demand for costumes Meanwhile, come March 4th, the Jewish around Valentine’s Day? Check out what you community will be donning fancy dress to can do to appeal to the student crowd come celebrate Purim. Many people choose to January – perhaps the Union or student dress in costume during the festivities so newspapers are a good chance to reach new make sure you can provide appropriate customers this year? Students love a bargain, products, particularly for children. It’s also so why not offer them a special rate or a a great idea to advertise in local Jewish loyalty discount? newspapers and magazines, to let people Another thing that absolutely must be a know what you have, and also about any consideration in January is Book Week. Fast special offers you might have planned.

”

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And, of course, one last thing that cannot be stressed enough is the importance of preparing for Easter. Firstly, make sure you have more rabbit ears than you think you could possibly need because, believe me, you will need them! For the kids, keep it cute and keep it comfortable. Children adore fancy dress, but they adore chocolate even more, and an outfit that impedes them from their Easter egg hunt will not go down well!

There are countless events and dates to plan for this spring, so use the brief downtime following New Year to ramp up for the rest of 2015 – you will thank yourself later!

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Feature Foil Balloons

The great inflate!

Impressive, fun and most importantly, shiny, foil balloons could be just the ticket to inflate retailers’ margins. Party Party takes a look at why foil balloons are fast becoming the go-to party focal piece, and how staying on trend could yield great results!

T

he balloon is the international symbol for a party.

Tethered to the handle of a door to signify a kid’s birthday party, or clustered in an elegant display to mark a milestone wedding anniversary, it wouldn’t be a true party without some inflatable fun.

And if there’s one thing any celebratory gathering can always benefit from, it’s a shimmering centrepiece.

Enter the foil balloon, an impressive addition to any celebratory display, which, whether standalone or part of a creative design, is sure to give any party a lift.

With their close association to parties, the consumer demand for balloons in increasingly diverse shapes, sizes, colours and designs means balloons are a staple part of any partyware retailer’s offering. So it is encouraging then to learn that in 2014 foil balloon suppliers have experienced a strong year of sales.

Andrew Storey, Product and License Development Manager at Pioneer Europe Ltd. told Party Party that the company’s range of printed foil balloons has shown “good growth” throughout 2014.

He also identified certain celebrations that have given the category a real boost: “We have seen an increased demand for wedding foil balloons,” he said. “We will be expanding our wedding

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“

identifies 18, 21, themed foil 40, 50 and 60 balloon range in as birthdays of 2015.” particular note.

But it’s not But romantic just established celebrations – names enjoying Valentine’s Day a strong in particular – year. Relative drive the most newcomer, significant Northstar sales spikes.

Balloons, which Ivan Smith, VP Sales – UK “Valentines Day is currently is still the most celebrating only and Ireland, Northstar important day of its second full Balloons the year for foil year in the UK balloons. This market, reports is true for retailing and also similarly positive results. for the important POS and “2014 has proved to be promotional opportunities,” another year of excellent growth for Northstar in the UK, Ivan explained.

Pioneer Europe’s Andrew the rest of Europe and also the Storey agrees, revealing that Middle East,” said Ivan Smith, the company’s stars and VP Sales – UK and Ireland at hearts shape foils are proving Northstar Balloons. “Our 16” popular. “Hen night has also Air Filled Numbers and Letters been strong, along with range has proved to be a great anniversaries,” he added. success without diluting sales The allure of foil is hard to of our well established 34” ignore, however, and they are Helium balloon offer.” steadily making their way onto Ivan puts this down to the the shopping list of seasonal quality and inherently long party-goers. “We have seen lasting nature of foil balloons. an increase in shapes sales for He believes that consumers seasonal product,” Andrew are willing to invest in a explained. “The Wicked Witch showstopper, despite the fact shape foil, for example, and these products often sit in the Santa Head have done well higher price bracket. “Very this year. These seasons are often, the foil balloon is the more suited to big shape key item in the congratulatory balloons.” process,” he explains. “Just And with the impact check your local press for of printed foil balloons – that 100th Birthday picture Pioneer’s big winners this year – usually complete with foil – proving popular, licensed balloon!” prints and thematic tie-ins are Naturally, birthdays are filling the gaps between key a big driving force for the celebrations and holidays to sale of foil balloons, and Ivan

www.partypartymag.co.uk

Very often, the foil balloon is the key item in the congratulatory process

”

elevate the category to a full evergreen.

“Foil balloons are evergreen.

They work well for events and movies for short-term success,” explained Andrew.

“For example, our foil shape snowflakes have done really well thanks to the popularity of Frozen. Next year with the 2015 Rugby World Cup coming to England, we are stocking up on our Rugby themed balloons.”

So what can retailers do to evangelise the quality and flexibility of foil balloons to consumers? Use the products themselves. Visual displays are paramount, and Party Party magazine dedicates a whole page each issue to the latest balloon recipes and tips for good reason.

For all the business that seasonal festivities, traditional celebrations and pop culture trends can drum up, if shoppers can’t see the full effect with their own eyes, retailers are losing out on potential sales.

“Visual impact at retail level is the most important sales driver for foil balloons, especially for the larger sized numbers, letters and shapes where customers can actually see the inflated balloon in the flesh – or, more correctly, in the foil,” Ivan explained. “A good display of inflated Foil Balloons will always increase sales, often very significantly.”

So now is the time to stock up on those shimmering foils and get them centre-display!

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Feature Foil Balloons

Shine bright like a Diamondz!

Amscan 01908 288500 www.amscan.co.uk Amscan offer an extensive range of foil balloons by leading manufacturer Anagram. Combining the most innovative formats with leading licensed and unlicensed designs to suit all tastes and budgets, there really is a balloon to suit everyone!

Amscan’s bestselling foil balloon range in 2014 has perhaps unsurprisingly been Disney Frozen. The collection of ten designs has been hugely popular following the high demand for the licensed franchise and shows no sign of stopping!

The award-winning AirWalker balloons have been a real game changer in the balloon market, providing inspiration and enjoyment to the younger

generation who can have their favourite character in life size!

Recently launched designs include characters from Monster High, Scooby-Doo and Minions.

Another recent innovation is the launch of Orbz, Diamondz and Cubez balloons.

The three new shapes set a whole new trend, allowing for four different designs to be included on the balloon.

The Disney AeroPlay foil balloon takes things quite literally to the next level, as it can soar to up to 10 feet high then be lowered again using a remote control. This fantastic product pushes the boundaries of being a toy just as much as it is a foil balloon, making it great entertainment at a party or to be given as a gift.

Foil’s number one!

Creative Party 01202 590222 www.creativepartyltd.com From a milestone birthday to the birth of a new baby, foil balloons make the perfect gift for a range of special occasions.

Creative Party’s stunning sparkle star numeral foil balloons are

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available in black, pink and blue, ensuring all tastes and ages are well catered for. The black and silver design would make a fabulous accompaniment to any New Year celebration!

Feature Foil Balloons

Five-star foils!

Northstar Balloons www.northstarballoons.eu Northstar Balloons was first established in Minneapolis USA more than six years ago, but is only just completing its second full year of trading in the UK and Europe.

Although fairly new to the UK and European markets, Northstar’s Foil Balloon heritage goes back over 30 years; the business was set up by Garry Kieves, an original founder and owner of Anagram Balloons. Northstar initially manufactured foil balloons for other key balloon and party companies, together with creating bespoke designs and shapes for the advertising and promotional industries.

2012 saw the launch of the company’s own Northstar branded range, with Numbers, Letters and Shapes being key components of its new offering. The company uses the most advanced design and manufacturing technologies in the industry, resulting in a

lighter, stronger balloon with a consequent reduction in helium gas usage, together with fewer bursts and leaks.

2014 saw the rapid expansion of the Northstar line with a similarly rapid expansion of sales as new and innovative items were brought to market. These include 3D Spheres and Cubes, more intricate Shaped Balloons and the extremely successful range of 16” Air Filled Numbers and Letters complete with self-sealing valves. This latter line has proved to be a naturally complementary product alongside the company’s 34” Numbers and Letters, generating important incremental sales at both wholesale and retail levels.

Many new and innovative items and ranges are being readied for introduction in 2015, which retailers can see for the first time at the Nuremberg and Spring Fair trade shows early next year.

Quality guaranteed!

Qualatex 0800 28 12 15 www.thequalatexevent.com Pioneer Balloon Company believes ‘Every Occasion Deserves Qualatex balloons.’ Always at the leading edge with its product line, the company has done its homework to identify the latest consumer balloon demands and upcoming trends. In response, with the combined power of a talented in-house creative team and state-of-the-art production technology, it is introducing an expanded line of Microfoil balloons.

And that’s not all! To complement these new foil designs, the balloon specialist is producing matching latex designs to help create even more beautiful balloon bouquets and decor. Two exciting and fun new items in the expanded line include an 18” Mother’s Day foil balloon featuring a Me to You Tatty Teddy

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design, and an 18” Thank You Chalkboard foil.

Pioneer’s new Microfoil range of balloons can be previewed at the Nuremberg Toy Fair and Spring Fair International in early 2015. Plus, visitors can see the whole new wedding range of balloons, also being previewed at these events. Whatever the celebration, Qualatex is the brand you can count on to deliver quality and innovation.

PARTY NEEDS YOU!

Retailers... We need them!

Columnist Mark Brett explores the relationship between suppliers and independent retailers, and why indies make the ultimate brand ambassadors

B

ack in the day when Ford Cortinas ruled the M1, German Shepherds were the dog of choice, and a personal music system was the size of a small kitchen extension, Brits enjoyed partying with cardboard hats, a party blower, crepe garlands and a pack of balloons. If you were really lucky, you might find a retailer selling latex balloons in the colour of your choice. We didn't know any better and we felt we were the party capital of the world. Then came the Americans, to rescue us from our poor party prep.

Initially, it involved a combined wave of latex balloon decoration by Qualatex and Anagram (now Amscan) with their strange foil balloon things. At first, we all poohpoohed these items as American fads... balloon decoration that would never take off here. It was too gaudy, too American, too expensive.

Wrong, wrong and wrong again. Most players in the market, myself included, simply did not see it coming. It didn't happen overnight, of course, but both sets of product started to take hold. The second wave came courtesy of Amscan and Unique, introducing us to party decorations, piñatas, themes, a huge range of loot bag toys and, of course, Halloween product – the like of which we had never seen before.

This was soon followed in the costume market by companies like Rubies. The only UK Company that seemed to see this coming was Smiffys. Without the background of a huge home market (USA) it is hard to see how a UK company could have originated similar product ranges.

So for all this, we have our American Brethren to thank. There is no question that without the Americans, the UK Party industry (maybe even European) would not have developed in the way it has.

Apologies to any company left off the list – it's not supposed to be exhaustive, nor an historical transcript, just trying to paint a picture. Now, that’s the praise sorted.

Traditionally, the distribution chain in the UK was supplier, wholesaler, independent retailers and a few multiples. Now, wholesalers are few, independents are few, multiples are more (in terms of volume), and we also have online retailers. Let’s be quite clear about this – suppliers are not charities, they are there to make a profit.

They have to chase the dollar and this can

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INFO In 1977, Mark began working for the family business, manufacturing and marketing Fantasia latex balloon within the UK and the rest of the world up until 2008 when he set up shop on his own and created the Fantasia brand. Since 2011 Mark and his wife are the sole UK agents for Boland Party, a Dutch company who are one of Europe’s largest party distributors of party and dress up. And that’s not all, Mark has been a Director of HITF Ltd since 1996, and in 2002, he was the founder member of European Balloon and Party Council, holding post as chairman from 2002-2012. be done in two ways. Either, you seek to maximise your volumes, or you sell low volumes at a high margin. Realistically, if you pursue the former, you have to chase the big boys. Or do you? If you court and supply the multiples, it is like the first icecold beer – instant gratification. The results are great. More often than not, the benefits become less obvious. Pressure is put on margins, pressure is put on stock holdings, ranges can be reduced, sales reduced, and the heat is on. If a major is lost, or even goes out of business (Woolworths, Clintons etc.) then life isn't so sweet. And suddenly, SmartyParty Pants Plc. is chasing every independent they've offended and ignored because the WonderfulRetail store group is long gone, importing their own, or has lost all interest in the party market.

Can a balanced basket of customers be achievable? Before answering that question, let us examine why the good independent retailer is important to the party market. In a previous article we examined the USPs of the independent: the ability to spend time with a customer; the advantage of product knowledge and local knowledge to work with the customers, alll of which in turn will ensure repeat business, increase customer spend and spread the word.

If you are a good supportive supplier, the good independent is your point-ofcontact with your target consumer. This is the person who will sell your brand and product, secure awareness and longevity – not the WonderfulRetail store group, nor cheapaschipsparty.com. Strong supportive brands are very important to the good independent. If they know they are going to earn money, are confident in the product, and know they can get supply, they will work for you before your competitor. They are the outlet that will build your brand.

Their shop is your brand shop window.

It is not the purpose of this column to propose marketing plans for the supply industry. Even, if it were, they would be

With thanks to www.cwl.nsw.gov.au ignored. However, in answer to, 'is it possible to supply a basket of various customers?'

Yes, it is. And there are examples even within our marketplace. But look beyond to other markets. To be honest, a lot of other retail sectors have more independents to work with. But it should not be beyond the wit of a good supplier to develop various routes to market. Unless you are Coca Cola, or you have licensed product, or a very unique (and saleable) product, you ignore the ‘Indiepartyshop’ at your peril.

The tumultuous supplier cry of, 'without volume we would not be able to purchase or produce the product at the price we do, even for the independent' – no argument with that, but it should not prevent imaginative supply initiatives.

Just remember, your target consumer’s first and last experience of your product.

Is it the anonymous shelf of a large multiproduct retail outlet? Is it the image on a website of 16,000 other party products?

Or, is it the experienced retailer who has gone to the trouble of telling the consumer how good your product is, how suitable it is for their purpose and why don’t they try this other item as they were produced specifically to match the original item.

If the good professional independent is not supported and encouraged, their future will be threatened. If they fail, then so will many suppliers. We ignore them at our peril.

Feature Face Paints

About Face Super-creative and budget-friendly, face painting and body art are dressup techniques on the rise. Party Party highlights looks at what’s on offer

A

n alternative to masks, face paint, make-up products and body art can be an affordable and creative way to add to any fancy dress look, while allowing wearers to eat, drink and talk freely. And the popularity of using face paints or body art to complete a look or outfit is on the rise, say Amscan, distributors of leading UK face paint brand Snazaroo. This isn’t just the case for seasonal events such as Halloween, either. Using face paints for children’s events, such as World Book Day, is also a quick and easy way to create eyecatching designs, say Amscan. Book Week is, in fact, one of, if not the, most popular time for children’s dress-up, with only Halloween coming close in terms of sales.

The scope for creativity is one of the main reasons why face paints do so well, in particular, offering children the chance to express themselves. Florence Wong, trade marketing manager at leading UK face paint brand, Snazaroo, says: “Children love to dress up and face paint has the power to really fire their imaginations and bring creative play to

life. Pirate, princess and jungle themes are always popular for children’s parties.

These are simple to execute, can be interpreted in a number of different ways, and as kids always have an appetite for these types of characters, they really are timeless.”

And with lots of consumers looking for value, face painting can be an affordable way to create a look. Fran Gore, owner of Fancy Dress Fanatics in Bristol says that a lot of her customers are students with low budgets. “They like to put together something with bits rather than buying a packet costume or hiring a whole outfit,” she says, highlighting how accessories, including face paints/make-up products are popular.

When it comes to face paints, Snazaroo offers an extensive portfolio of face painting products and entire role play kits for the ultimate in creativity. It more than satisfies the standards set for such products in terms of quality and safety – the latter, an especially important consumer demand particularly for kids.

“My son loves getting his face painted but my biggest concern has always been face paint safety as his skin is sensitive,”

Tats magic!

TINSLEY TRANSFERS 0845 180 6545 www.angelsdistribution. co.uk Founded in 1999 by Hollywood make-up and special effects artist Christien Tinsley, Tinsley Transfers has solely provided Hollywood’s biggest film and TV productions with custom temporary tattoo transfers.

New in 2014 to the UK market, Tinsley Transfers offers “the most realistic tattoos available” in a host of lines, from tattoo sleeves and costume kit tattoos, to face tattoos and 3D FX tattoos. They come in a variety of designs, including Candy Skull Face and Cheetah Face, plus more old-school designs such as Tribal Zebra, Dragon, Koi and Wings XL.

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says mother Juliet Godfrey. “So I did my research and discovered that Snazaroo face paints are hypoallergenic and nontoxic. They can also easily be removed using soap and water.”

With the most popular area for application being the face, they are all water-based, making them both easy to apply and easy to remove.

“At Snazaroo, we are incredibly dedicated to quality excellence – the standards of both our internal and external testing programmes far surpass the regulations set out for toys and cosmetics in Europe, Australiasia and US,” Florence Wong, trade marketing manager of Snazaroo told Party Party. “As a result, the products speak for themselves and customers buy safe in the knowledge that our products are high quality, easily removed, non-toxic and suitable for sensible skin,” says Florence.

Face painting is not just a hit with kids, but also increasingly with adults.

Angels’ Tinsley Transfers, a new-to-theUK provider of temporary tattoos and make-up effects, have dressed some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, from Brad Pitt, to Gary Oldman in Harry Potter.

In character AMSCAN 01908 288500 www.amscan.co.uk The popularity of using face paints to complete a look or outfit is on the rise, particularly for seasonal events such as Halloween; fuelled by key trends such as ‘Day of the Dead’ and zombies. Amscan supply leading face paint brand Snazaroo and new additions include a fantastic range of face painting booklets. Each set contains four different colours and instructions to create spectacular characters. Also new are four exciting role play kits, choose from Pirates, Princess, Knight and Egyptian Princess. Not only do the sets come with face paints, but there is also a ‘make your own’ accessory tailored to each character which kids can get creative with!

Halloween Dream

W

e’re slap bang in the middle of party season, sandwiched between the frights of Halloween and the delights of Christmas. But let’s just take a moment, take stock and take a note.

Halloween might only last for one day each year, but it’s a core sales period for everyone in the party industry. Making the most of the autumn spooktacular

can be a haunting task, but fear not, Party Party magazine has spoken with three premier party suppliers – Amscan, Neviti and Palmer – to find out what their bestsellers were this Halloween, and what we should be keepng an eye out for for fright night 2015. Arm yourself with knowledge now, because with next year’s Halloween falling on a Saturday, it is set to be a big one!

Hang-em high with Amscan

Spooktacular celebration!

Party Party magazine has spoken to Amscan International to reveal its top selling products from this year’s fright fest.

Hanging decorations – the perfect way to capture bats ‘infright’ or introduce some creepy crawlies to any party – are always a popular choice. And Amscan’s Bat String and Spider String decorations, both measuring 2.1m high, remained the company’s top

There was certainly a call for a party in the Neviti office this year, with fantastic Halloween sales and great feedback from customers on the company’s new collections for 2014. Neviti launched two new ranges, including the Graveyard Gathering collection for adults and teens and Trick Or Treat for children’s celebrations.

Both collections received positive feedback from customers with Graveyard Gathering being especially popular as the first adult Halloween collection created by the team. Successful items in the collection included the fantastic bottle labels, offering a great way to dress up party drinks with text such as ‘bats blood’ and ‘devils brew’, and the hand-shaped glass decorations.

Bestselling items from the Trick Or Treat collection included Loot Bags, ideal for collecting Halloween treats, and the vibrant tableware featuring friendly Halloween characters.

Cathy Locke, Marketing & Sales Support Co-ordinator at Neviti commented: “We were absolutely thrilled to receive such positive feedback to our Halloween collections. It seems the collections really covered the whole market.”

The team are already working on Halloween collections for next year, and they say they will have something just as exciting up their spooky sleeves!

sellers throughout Halloween.

Costumes and dress-up are big business at this time of year, too. So it’s no surprise that Amscan’s spooky and on-trend range features here.

Bestsellers include the black hooded Phantom of Darkness, Harlequinn Honey (following the popular jester theme) for women, and the neon-coloured Miss Matched Witch outfit for girls.

Scared silly!

Palmer Agencies has had a great Halloween, with Sales and Marketing Director, Sergio Battaner, telling Party Party that anything scary was top of the pops. “Anything zombie-themed was very strong, including make-up, blood, liquid latex and prosthetics,” he explained. “We also noticed a big boost in popularity for décor and animated props, even those in the higher price brackets.”

The strong sales performance was fortified by the timing, with Halloween falling on a weekend and during a school

half-term, according to Sergio.

Kids and male costumes sold well, particularly those that were gimmick-free and gruesome.

“Our sales for sexy Halloween products weren’t as sexy as past years, and humorous products weren’t particularly funny either. It seems scary and gruesome is back in fashion in a big way. Our scary accessories were the big winners this year, adding that extra special touch when decorating.

You don’t party at Halloween to blend in after all.

If you do, you’re doing it wrong!”

www.partypartymag.co.uk

37

THE WORD from

Continental shift Columnist John Bowler explains why a new move from BAPIA will give the UK party industry more influence in Europe, strengthen the industry’s international standing, and why now could be the best time to become a BAPIA member

B

APIA has recently become a member of the European Balloon & Party Council. EBPC is a Europe-wide association currently made up of 32 key European players from the balloon and party industry. As an organization, EBPC is working hard to represent its members, and the industry as a whole, on relevant key issues that arise within the EU, while also providing its members with communication on new directives and legislation.

As an industry, it is critical that we have some representation within Europe; we are a part of the EU, and as such will be affected by any decisions taken by the European authorities.

Many of us would not necessarily be aware of possible legislation that may directly affect us until its too late, and we would be powerless to do anything about it anyway. By being a part of, and

“

working with, an organisation such as EBPC, BAPIA will become aware of them much sooner. While EBPC will take any actions necessary to fight them if they feel it is necessary - and there are many occasions when this is the case - BAPIA can pass the information back to the retailers and decorators to ensure that we work together in the best interests of our industry.

When we were given the opportunity to become a member of EBPC, we immediately agreed.

We believe that by working together we bring greater strength and communication to our industry. It means that any initiatives or projects can be handled on a Europe-wide basis and at all levels, from independent retailers and decorators right through to the major manufacturers and suppliers.

In the same way that EBPC works for its members and the industry, BAPIA is working to do the same for our members and the industry. We believe that the best way to support our members is to bring them benefits such as public, products and employers liability insurance as well as legal insurance as part of the membership fee. We also feel it’s paramount to promote the industry as a whole by taking opportunities to promote the use of balloons and party products,

such as our involvement in the Great Ormond Street Hospital children’s Christmas party décor, which this year also includes Candy Carts and Face-painters. You can read more about that on page 8 of this issue of Party Party.

We aim to achieve direct referrals for our members, such as recent national store openings that were passed onto our members who have so impressed the clients that they keep asking for more referrals.

BAPIA also produces a regular hard-copy newsletter for its members. If you would like to see a copy of the latest issue, we will be more than happy to send one out if you let us know your address at info@bapiaonline.com.

Membership of a trade organisation for your industry brings many benefits, and at BAPIA we are constantly striving to achieve more benefits and bring more useful information and opportunities to our members.

If you would like any more information on BAPIA and what it can do for you please go to our website at www.bapiaonline.com or e-mail us at info@bapiaonline. com.

As an industry, it is critical that we have some representation within Europe; we are a part of the EU, and as such will be affected by any decisions taken by the European authorities.

”

INFO For more information on BAPIA and the benefits of membership go to www.bapiaonline.com or contact John on info@bapiaonline.com

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Balloon Recipe

Valentines Guy Are you ready for Valentines Day? Making quick and easy designs like this Valentines Guy is the perfect thing to attract attention and get the heart racing. You can easily add value by adding a bouquet of beautiful Valentines helium filled balloons, or simply add a 4” Air-filled heart!

Method of Construction: Ingredients:

1 2

Starting from the base, inflate fourballoon cluster sizing 5” balloons to 4.5”.

Create second fourballoon cluster inflated to 4” and secure to the base cluster.

3

Inflate 350Q approx. to 12”, secure the knotted end into the base cluster and tie off the 350Q at the point where the balloon has been inflated to.

4

Create another fourballoon cluster, sizing the balloons to 3.5”, and secure to the 350Q.

5

The final 4-balloon cluster needs to be small - approx. 2”.

Secure this to the 3.5” cluster.

6 7

Inflate the Microfoil® ‘head’ with air and secure this to the top cluster (I use a small scrap of 160Q to do this).

The arms are made from the 260Qs, inflated to approx.

8”. Add 2 small pinch twists at the knotted ends. Inflate 2 x 5” to 1.5” and add each of these into the double pinch twists to create the hands. Finally tie the 2 arms together, but leave some stretch between the 2 arms and slip these into position.

5”

Red x 10

350Q Red x 1 260Q Red x 2 Naughty Smile & Kiss Microfoil® Balloon Balloon Weight

For more great Valentines Day inspiration, check out The Very Best Balloon Blog: www. theverybestballoonblog. blogspot.co.uk.

Sue Bowler writes ‘The Very Best Balloon Blog’. To see more great design recipes and balloon related articles visit www.theverybestballoonblog.blogspot.com www.partypartymag.co.uk

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Sponsored Feature

Family First Few companies can trace their history back more than a century, but 2014 marks R H Smith & Sons’ 120th anniversary. With its dedication to quality products and outstanding customer service, the firm continues to boast some of the party industry’s leading brands. Party Party took a look at the familyrun business to learn how the core philosophies of its storied history can still be seen in the business today, and how the company is investing heavily in its future

2

014 has been a milestone year for R H Smith & Sons, and an eventful one at that. The company celebrated its 120th anniversary, an achievement that few companies can claim and a testament to its longstanding dedication to innovative, high quality product and great customer service. This dedication was also marked with the team picking up two prestigious awards: the Gainsborough Business of the Year Award and the Midlands’ Family Business of the Year Award in November.

The company also renovated its Head Office in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire top to bottom; a long but rewarding task that was set in motion when a freak flood left the building a little worse for wear back in June.

From hair to here The business started out as a wigmaker in 1894, supplying Broadway theatres, courts and the NHS, before being bought by current owner, Ray Peckett.

Under Ray’s new leadership, the company continued its production of handmade wigs before taking the next natural step and expanding into the fancy dress and party markets.

Today, R H Smith & Sons is a fancy dress expert committed to delivering their ethos of ‘Serious Fun’ to the world!

The company’s creative approach to fancy dress has given life to some of the industry’s leading brands in dress up and party. With a dedicated team of more than 20 creative designers constantly researching and planning new products, the

2

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company’s established brands, Smiffy’s and Fever, are at the forefront of product design and innovation. Drawing inspiration from current trends and pop culture, the team always has its finger on the pulse, and this is reflected in the huge selection of fashion forward costumes and accessories that form the company’s product offering.

ITH & R H SM NCY IS A FA SONS EXPERT DRESSITTED TO COMM RING THEIR S E DELIV OF ‘SERIOU ETHOSO THE FUN’ T D WORL Inside Man

“

The work ethics that drove Ray during his early career are still apparent in the way R H Smith & Sons operates today. Before buying the business, Ray worked as a shop

steward (union rep) charged with representing over 500 people in a print factory. During his time there, he witnessed the poor treatment and negative work conditions for the employees he represented, but was unable to intervene.

This made an impact on Ray and would come to shape his approach to running a business. He knew exactly how he wanted his own company to operate: treating his staff with respect and esteem, and cultivating the kind of working environment he had previously longed to work in.

Another factor that shaped the development of the company was Ray’s experience working as a salesman. He knew from experience that by simplifying the entire process, without losing the core values of great customer service

Business of the Year R H Smith & Sons was crowned Family Business of the Year at the Midlands Family Business Awards in November, a fitting title for a company celebrating its 120th anniversary. Held at Nottingham Trent University, the awards were attended by 300 guests including this year’s finalists and panel of judges.

Chief among the panel was lead judge Alex Polizzi and Chris Taylor, partner at headline sponsor Smith and Cooper, who praised R H Smith’s

forward thinking, ambitious approach to running a family business. Taylor said: “R H Smith really impressed us this year for three main reasons: their incredible ambition to grow which really shone through during the presentation on the judging day, their high level of commitment to their people and their openness to seek advice.”

Dominique Peckett, Director at R H Smith & Sons said it was an honour to collect the award on behalf of

everyone that makes the company a success. “We’re thrilled to have won this prestigious award that recognises the hard work and dedication of not only our family and Board members, but the entire R H Smith team,” she said. “We’d like to congratulate all the other finalists; we’re told it was an exceptionally hard fought category.”

The company also added the award for Gainsborough Business of the Year to its growing trophy cabinet earlier this year.

and value for money at the heart of the operation, he would earn the respect of his clients. His aim was always to streamline the purchasing process for customers, and this continues to be the essence of R H Smith’s sales operations today.

Taking the party international R H Smith has gone from strength to strength since Ray took over almost 40 years ago in 1975. It employs around 270 people in a diverse range of roles; the warehouse and distribution team picks and packs more than 75,000 items every day, and the company delivers a staggering 26 million products around the world each year.

As the company continues to expand and invest in new territories and markets around the world, everything the company does feeds into its ultimate goal of becoming the premier name in the fancy dress and party industry. The team have already brought their vision of ‘Serious Fun’ to 50 countries, and they continue to work relentlessly to become the most recognised brand in the sector around the world.

“

THE NY COMPA RS A E DELIV ERING 26 STAGG N MILLIO CTS PRODU D THE N AROU EACH D WORL YEAR

Second generation Directors Elliott and Dominique Peckett collect their award www.partypartymag.co.uk

3

Sponsored Feature

Dressed to invest R H Smith & Sons are investing big to tackle the issues of counterfeiting and some internet retail practices which threaten the health of the dress-up and party industry.

Owner Ray Peckett reveals the company’s plans to counter the counterfeiters, and the steps it is taking to protect and strengthen the position of independent retailers.

I

t’s no coincidence that R H Smith & Sons has thrived for more than a century. When Ray Peckett took ownership in 1975, the company changed trajectory, expanding into the greater dressup and party market from its core business of wig production. This transition was a turning point for the company, and has seen its prospects soar ever since.

But a company doesn’t prosper for such a long time without the flexibility to align itself with market changes. Proactive tackling of the bigger challenges has always been at the forefront of the company’s major developments, and with 2014 marking its 120th anniversary, the storied company continues to tackle these issues head on.

Internet retailing – the aggressive tactics sometimes used on thirdparty sites specifically – and counterfeiting are next on the hit list, a largely unchecked marketplace that Ray believes is both anti-consumer in the long term, and an affront to independent party and costumer retailers, which strive to offer quality product and a superior retail experience for shoppers.

R H Smith isn’t anti-internet retail.

The company has recently launched its own online marketplace, a storefront that offers consumers a simple way to purchase its top brands from local and independent retailers – verified stockists of R H

4

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Smith’s leading brands. Further, the company supports those retailers offering consumers the choice to purchase product through their own dedicated websites with product images and other marketing resources.

The problem then is the wider issue of product counterfeiting and a laissez-faire attitude that some manufacturers and retailers have to intellectual property (IP) rights.

Simply put, when manufacturers and retailers produce and sell a patent copycat product, or product without a licensing agreement and proper QA measures in place, the entire party industry loses out. Consumers receive an inferior product under the guise of a recognised brand – or at the very least an ersatz approximation - and this diminishes these brands’ reputations.

Ray calls it “trashing the brand.”

Wise investments

they can copy a product well enough to approximate the original, try and avoid getting into a position where legal action is a threat, and offer it at a lower cost to consumers, that’s just simple business.”

Third-party retail sites and the internet in general has simply made this easier and more cost-efficient than ever before.

The solution then is investment. It’s a word that has been used a lot at R H Smith head office this year, and the company has ER N W brought in its own team O , CKETT of IP professionals, and RAY PE sought advice from top city lawyers and advisors.

“The unfortunate reality is, counterfeit products are eating into

THING EVERY ING PUTT WE’RE CTION HAS INTO A ERALL V THE O H OF THE T HEAL -UP AND DRESS INDUSTRY PARTYD IN MIN

“

R H Smith has identified Chinese companies as the primary counterfeiters and ‘brand trashers’, although Ray points out that in his experience it’s more a symptom of lack of education than overtly malicious business practice. “It’s a cultural issue more than anything,” Ray explained. “The way some Chinese businesses see things, if

One Team When a freak flood left the R H Smith & Sons head office submerged in water, the esprit de corps and family business credentials of the company were proved in full. As the office filled with water, and parts of the roof collapsed, everyone jumped in to lend a hand. Unfortunately, despite everyone pitching in, nothing could be done. The building had to be evacuated, and staff were relocated to a nearby hot-desking site to ensure the show carried on.

Still, making the best of a bad situation, the company took the opportunity to give the offices a complete overhaul. Gone are the partition walls, instead replaced with thin air to create an open plan office that brings the whole team together. Family member Sophie Peckett headed up the development, putting her interior design expertise to good use.

The investment transformed everything from the carpet – now a bright shock of electric yellow – to the computer systems and network, all with the aim of streamlining and nurturing the modern, family culture at the heart of the company.

One end of the office is adorned with the words “One Team”, epitomising the new vision. The redesign is more than a lick of paint, it’s symbolic of the company’s core values, with various departments now interlinking, boosting communication and allowing everyone to pitch in. It’s a modern way to work, and Sophie has maximised the space by adding creative breakout spaces and dressing the office with pop art and shabbychic oddities.

The new offices opened in late November, kick-starting an overhaul of the entire site, with plans to renovate the show rooms.

almost 10 percent of our business,” Ray explained. “It’s a problem that threatens not just us, but the entire industry. If we continue to allow these products to piggy back and trash the brand, the party and dress-up industry will become unsustainable.”

We’re not quite there yet, of course, and Ray and his team have no intention of letting it get that far.

“We currently have a team of five that scour the internet looking for counterfeits, buying samples, and carrying out our own tests on products we suspect are copies,” he said. “But it’s not always easy to tell right away. Sometimes the initial difference is as small as using a different number of fastenings on the packets. They never stand up to our strict quality tests though.

“It’s an unfortunate situation we find ourselves in. Even consumers who want to buy an official Smiffys or Fever product can’t be certain that what they receive is in fact the real deal. That’s a concern for us and independent retailers, not to mention the problems that can arise from product that hasn’t been thoroughly tested for safety reasons.”

That team of five is set to grow to 20; an investment that illustrates the importance the company places on the potential damage counterfeiting could do if left unchecked. This year alone, Ray says he and the rest of

the team have collectively spent hundreds of hours discussing solutions to this issue. He also estimates that around £1 million has so far been invested into tackling the saturation of the fancy dress market.

“What we’re saying now is, that the fancy dress market has become so cheap for consumers that it’s unsustainable. We need to increase the profit to our customers and resellers. We don’t take these investments lightly, but they’re critical to the continued health of the party industry at large. If we don’t clean up online, bricks and mortar shops are in trouble.”

Independent support R H Smith’s relationship with independent retailers is hugely important, and the company sees its investments in IP protection and tackling counterfeiters as a means to protect them.

“The combination of counterfeiting and third-party online retail can severely damage the fancy dress retail ecosystem if we don’t act now,” he said. “We’re about to have our best year ever as a company, but UK sales have generally plateaued for the past few years, and that’s due to counterfeiting.

“We are doing more for our customers than ever before, offering price matching and investing more money into customer services and support. But even with all that, UK unit sales haven’t risen, and I’d say that’s down to the counterfeits coming onto the market.”

With the company enjoying its best year ever, and a strategy in place that the team is confident will do much to help heal the damage of counterfeiting, R H Smith will continue to invest.

“By all accounts, the work we are doing and the project we have embarked upon can only be good news for independent bricks and mortar retailers,” Ray added. “We’re tackling the devaluation of the market at the source in a measured and strategic way which we will continue to invest in. By bringing in our own team of IP experts we’re facing this issue head-on. Everything we’re putting into action has the overall health of the dress-up and party industry in mind.”

www.partypartymag.co.uk

5

Sponsored Feature

Fancy that!

Whatever the occasion, R H Smith’s range has party-goers and dress–up fans covered, literally! With some of the hottest licenses and creative designs, the range of fancy dress and party accessories provide everything for crafting the perfect look.

Here’s a selection of the company’s bestsellers, from the old-school glamour of Baywatch and Grease, to the action-packed eighties with Top Gun. And see if you can spot the fantastic Where’s Wally costume – an outift so fantastic that party-goers will want to be found!

T-Birds Jacket, with Embroidered Logo Look instantly recognisable in the officially licensed T-Bird Jacket. This iconic fancy dress costume from the legendary film Grease, comes with an embroided logo on the back. Partygoers will have no trouble finding their Pink Ladies in this attire!

Top Gun Costume, Jumpsuit, Name Tags and Glasses Be transported back to the eighties with this officially licensed Top Gun Costume.

This male fancy dress costume includes a jumpsuit, nametags and glasses. Any man will look fly dressed in this outfit!

Baywatch Bay Lifeguard Lifeg Costume, Costum with AllIn-One Bodysuit, Jacket and Float Ladies can work their beach body with the Baywatch Lifeguard Costume, including an all-in-o all-in-one bodysuit, jacket and float. Ladies will definitely attract attention wearing this number!

Pink Ladies Jacket, For Grease Grease Lightening! Look instantly recognisable in the officially licensed Pink Lady Jacket, complete with an embroided logo. Finish the look with the Flyaway Style Rock and Roll Sunglasses.

Where’s Wally?

Costume, with Top, Trousers, Glasses and Hat - Adults The bespectacled Wally has become a favourite worldwide!

Fans can try to hide with the officially licensed Where’s Wally?

Costume for adults, complete with Wally’s classic top, trousers, glasses and hat.

To order or for more information visit trade.smiffys.com or call 0800 590599.

6

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All Aboard

for the Smiffys Experience 2015 Call your Customer Service Adviser for further details

Free Phone: 0800 590 599 | Free Fax: 0800 783 3882 | Email: sales@smiffys.com

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www.adamsgas.co.uk T: 0800 195 4445/01843 220596 We are suppliers of BBS, Talking Tables, Amscan, Unique, Gemma, Procos, Colpak, Creative Party and many more.

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One of the widest ranges available including Peppa Piig, Hello Kity, Super Mario, Ben 10, Gruffalo, Football, Sealife, Princess, High School Musical, Farmyard, Disney, Jungle, Fire Engine, Spongebob Squarepants, Plain Coloured and many more.

www.partyplus.co.uk

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tel: 020 8811 2898 steve@partyplus.co.uk

MUSTACHES

GAS SUPPLIERS

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Everything you need to

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Balloon Frames by Saunders We have a wide range of balloon frames in stock ready for immediate delivery- or we can design and manufacture bespoke frames to suit your needs 0208 594 7221 sales@saundersdisplays.co.uk