Progressive Party Europe - May/June 16

May/June 2016

25th Anniversary Special Collectors Edition

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CONTENTS The home of market leading trade magazines

The home of market leading trade magazines max-publishing.co.uk The Thehome homeofofmarket marketleading leadingtrade trademagazines magazines March/April 2013

The home of Exhibitions The home of Exhibitions The Thehome homeofofExhibitions Exhibitions

The home of market leading trade awards The home of market leading trade awards The Thehome homeofofmarket marketleading leadingtrade tradeawards awards

Max Publishing Ltd, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP T: 020 7700 6740 F: 020 7607 6411 www.max-publishing.co.uk

Welcome to the Party Should we stay or should we go? Better together or stronger apart? In what might prove to be the most important political decision to have been made in the last 50 years, the UK public will be voting on whether to stay in or leave the EU in a nationwide referendum taking place on 23 June.

While we at PPE will be keeping our politics well off the table, we can’t ignore the effect a ‘Brexit’ would have on the party trade.

After spending a very necessary two years diligently researching and creating the platform for Progressive Party to become a European-wide publication, to meet the Inset: Progressive Party Europe’s needs of a very European industry, we are Rob Willis and Jacqui Parr. all too aware of the closely intertwined links between suppliers, distributors and retails right across the free market.

The most obvious economic issue is that of the value of the £ against the Euro, but free movement of goods and people will also be a key concern. Realistically, moving product between countries will still happen, but how dramatically the logistics of doing so will change is, as yet, unclear.

On a more macro level, European Directives - which are less about bendy bananas than the media would have us believe - such as the Toy Safety Directive EN17, will still need to be adhered to by UK suppliers looking to supply the wider European market. The UK market just won’t be able to have any input into any future directives or accompanying legislation.

Conversely, many small and medium-sized firms would welcome what they see as a cut in red tape and petty regulations.

Whatever your personal take on Europe might be, it’s pretty clear that leaving the EU would affect the UK retail trade in a number of ways. Exactly what those repercussions might be for the party market in particular are currently unclear, as despite what the various campaigners are saying, neither option is straightforward.

Meanwhile, PPE will continue to report on the latest happenings and newest trends within the European party industry. In this, our scarily good Halloween special, we have also spent time visiting the Polish market, speaking to a number of suppliers and retailers about the country’s unique celebrations and traditions.

You can read more about how the Polish like to party on page 31.

With just a few months to go until consumers start to think about their Halloween celebrations, we have bought you the very latest in dress-up and decor for the scary season. And yes, some of them are especially nightmare-inducing this year!

We’ve also taken a look at the market for period costumes - an enduring classic, the Medieval and Tudor costumes don’t often get much attention as there’s no stand-out occasion to focus on them. However, they make up a significant part of the sector, with re-enactments, themed weddings and Medieval banquets driving business forward.

Elsewhere in this issue you can enjoy the latest column written exclusively by the Balloon and Party Industry Alliance’s John Bowler, plus a host of new product features from children’s partyware to European supplied new products – plus some really interesting feedback from the most important people of all – you, our trusted retailers.

Until next time.

Jacqui Parr – Editor @Prog_Party_Eu

Rob Willis – Publisher, Progressive Party Europe

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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CONTENTS

What’s inside: MAY/JUNE 2016

28

31

50

39

53 NEWS

Read all about it – it’s the round up from the last month in the party world.

NEW! BAPIA

John Bowler shares words of party wisdom.

THE JESTER

Does charity begin at home? It could.

NEW PRODUCTS

So new they’re still in bubble-wrap.

EUROPEAN NEW PRODUCTS

How to broaden your retail offering.

LICENSED TO PARTY

The latest new licensed product.

07 15 17 21 23 25

28 31 36 39 50 53 56

PARTYDECO

Interview with Poland’s party people.

COUNTRY FOCUS: POLAND

Poland? Party? Partnership!

FEEDBACK

Retail feedback on 2016 trading.

HALLOWEEN

PPE gives you a hair-raising head start.

PERIOD COSTUMES

A blast from the past.

CHILDREN’S PARTIES

It’s not just about the jelly and ice cream.

BEST SELLERS

What’s really been selling well?

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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NEWS PAGE

NEWS UPDATE

The Great Brexit Debate: In Or Out? The hottest of all topics at the time of going to press is something of a political sticking point, with both sides of the argument disagreeing violently. The question – Should Britain leave the EU? – is being put to a public referendum on June 23, and both the leave and remain camps are throwing their full weight behind their respective campaigns.

Quite apart from what leaving the EU might mean for the UK in general, what could the implications be for retail and the European party market?

Many suppliers, distributors and retailers will be concerned about the strength of the

pound. Sterling hit its lowest level since 2009 when the referendum was announced, and leading economists have warned that a Brexit could wipe anything up to 20% off the value of the UK pound, while import and consumer prices

A Party Perspective “From a business point of view, I think it’s clear that being part of a greater market is positive for everybody,” said Palmer Agencies' Sergio Battaner, “Competition is good for consumers and for businesses, as it keeps us all on our toes! A level playing field also drives costs down as we can produce for a bigger market.”

Should the Brexit go ahead, Sergio predicts “costs and complications”, pointing out that; “We will have to accept and comply to EU regulations without having a say in them in order to access that market. And will have the headache of preparing customs documentation, import duties, etc. for every export!”

Feel The Force

WBC Success

Bringing fans of the films together from right across Europe, the Star Wars Celebration show will be taking place at London's ExCel centre on 15 – 17 July, 2016. Designed to celebrate the pop culture phenomenon, the event will include costumes, exhibits, screenings, exclusive merchandise, celebrity guests, panels, autograph sessions and faninspired activities.

Official costume partner Rubie’s Masquerade will be on hand at the convention, teaming up with Camden's favourite fancy dress experts Escapade to offer a huge range of Star Wars costumes and accessories for both kids and adults.

For more information, visit www.starwarscelebration.com

The World Balloon Convention 2016, which took place 6 – 10 April in New Orleans, has been declared 'the best yet!'

With more than 900 delegates attending from 58 countries around the world, the latest WBC has raised the bar for future conventions. More than 50 classes took place alongside the ten different competitions, numerous exams and all-important networking. Some 54 international delegates became Certified Balloon Artists at the convention.

“The balloon industry is reaching new heights,” said Ted A. Vlamis, president of Pioneer Balloon Company, “and it’s your creativity and dedication that has taken us there."

The next WBC will be taking place from 14 – 18 March 2018, in San Diego, California.

Above:Captain Phasma costume from Rubie's.

Above:Parade Fashion Competition - first place winner,

by Kanako Takahashi from Japan.

are both major considerations.

Business leaders have also spoken out about the possible threat to jobs and lack of investment a Brexit could cause. Former M&S boss Lord Rose, who is heading the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, claims that three million jobs are associated with Britain’s membership of the EU. Legislation is another cause for concern. With European directives such as EN71 (toy safety standard) applying across all member states, retailers can be reassured that product is of a certain standard.

Having no influence on future product regulations, could

Asda and Ikea In Costume Recall

Should we stay or should we go?

On June 23, the people of Britain will decide.

create more problems for those businesses operating in Europe.

With just weeks to go, the polls are levelling out, with both campaigns performing well. The only thing we can be sure of, is that most of the implications of a Brexit will remain conjecture until after the referendum itself.

The Neverending Balloon Story

Two national stores have been forced to recall children's fancy dress costumes in recent weeks, following separate concerns.

Asda issued its recall as a 'precautionary measure', following a chemical concern, which was found after tests on the material.

The George@Asda Horrible Histories Gladiator fancy dress costume had been on sale since February. In its product recall statement, the company said: "A small number of products were found to contain a higher level of one chemical above the limit set by the Toy Safety Directive.”

Consumers who had bought the costume, which cost £15, can return it for a full refund.

IKEA's product recall was on a children's fancy dress bat cape. The Swedish company warned parents to 'immediately stop children from playing' with the item and return them to the store for a full refund.

The move came following reports about three children receiving 'marks and scratches on the neck' while using the bat capes. The £11 capes had been on sale since November.

A pink 'It's a girl!' balloon given to a newborn baby in 1995 hit the national press in May – for still being fully inflated 21 years later.

The balloon, which was given to Lowri Maxwell Hughes, of Llanberis, Wales, is an Amscan product and features a cute teddy on the front. The precious memento is stored carefully and is being considered for a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest-lasting balloon.

Amscan's marketing manager James Young said it would probably have been filled with air rather than helium and then heat-sealed.

“They will last indefinitely,” he said. “It's great for us to hear our product is lasting that long.”

Below: Lowri holds her 21-year-old balloon.

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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OPT E

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© UNIQUE INDUSTRIES, INC. PHILADELPHIA, PA 19112 USA UNIQUE PARTY, SCUNTHORPE, ENGLAND DN16 1DE IMPORTED BY / IMPORTÉ PAR UNIQUE PARTY FAVORS, MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA L5T 2V7 MADE IN MEXICO FABRIQUÉ EN MEXICO HECHO EN MEXICO

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PARTY NEWS

Party At PG Live If you were one of the party retailers who headed along to PG Live 2016 at the beginning of May, you'll have seen a core party contingent, showcasing their latest partyware and balloon offerings to the greeting trade at large.

The biggest ever PG Live show – which took place from 10 - 11 May 2016 – was the most successful so far, according to organiser Max Exhibitions.

The buzzy show got off to a strong start and it wasn't long before exhibitors were taking their first orders, with party companies appealing to card and gift shops looking to diversify their offering as they made their selections for the coming year.

“Party is a core line for many card shops so it was a natural choice for us to exhibit,” commented Holly Forder,

Above: Pioneer's busy demo area at PG Live.

PG Live Pioneers!

For the first time ever, PG Live ran a demonstration area, where Pioneer made the most of the opportunity to engage with retailers and other interested visitors.

"It was our first time exhibiting at PG Live,” said Brett Smith, commercial manager at Pioneer Europe. “The greeting card industry is a growing sector for us, and it is a good show to reach those retailers. Having the demo area was important, as it allowed us to show our customers the profit potential that balloons can bring. We met new contacts and the quality of leads was good.”

Pioneer also ran a balloon inflation competition during the show, and the two winners have been named as Jamie Colman from Enchanted Wood and Heydi Alvarado from Heydi Party Decorations, who have both won a free registration to a Qualatex Balloon Training Course.

Congratulations!

marketing manager at Creative Party. “PG Live is a really lovely friendly show, and has a great atmosphere. It has much more of a family and industry feel than you get at some of the larger shows. It was great for us to connect with new people in the industry and meet lots of prospective new customers The eighth PG Live was from the greetings industry.” a resounding success.

The friendly, enthusiastic atmosphere that PG Live is manager. “We received interest famed for proved particularly from both existing customers conducive to business, with and those who were not exhibitors reporting a recordpreviously aware of Amscan.” breaking numbers of orders First-time visitor Gee Singh, being placed and new accounts of Cards & Party, was similarly opened. enthusiastic, describing PG Live “The timing of PG Live was as: “The best trade show we have ideal for us to showcase some of ever visited!” our new licensed party ranges, “We have been absolutely as well as some of our latest foil blown away by the incredible balloon designs,” added James levels of support and feedback Young, Amscan's marketing

we have had following this year's show,” said Warren Lomax, joint show director. “We would like to thank each and every one for coming along and helping to make PG Live the highlight of our year. We'll see you in 2017!”

The dates for the 2017 show have been confirmed as Tuesday 6 to Wednesday 7 June 2017. Visit www.progressivegreetingslive. co.uk for more information.

No More Clowning Around

Getting Real

Popular Nuneaton fancy dress shop Clowning Around closed its doors for the final time at the end of May, when the dedicated team bid an emotional goodbye to their customers.

The closure marks the end of a 21-year-long era for the much-loved shop, owned by husband and wife team Gill Barber and her husband Ted. "We have grown from being a little joke shop in a tiny space in the market to become a shop with three storeys," commented Gill. "And I've loved every minute. But it's time to call it a day I suppose.

I would have liked someone to come

One of the most exciting launches at PG Live were the augmented reality balloons from Creative Party, in an industry first for the company. The exciting new AR balloons allow consumers to bring balloons to life via an augmented reality app, Balloons Alive, which is free to use and can be easily downloaded.

“You can bring a static print ad to life just by pointing your smartphone at it!” explained marketing manger Holly Forder.

“We developed these new balloons to bring innovation to the market, with the aim to enhance and increase user interactivity and excitement.”

When the balloon is viewed through the Balloons Alive app, the imagery comes to life with fun animations and sounds.

An FSDU with headercard is available to help retailers explain the innovative new concept and help publicise it in-store.

Saddle Sore Congratulations to vp of Unique Jim Cairns, who cycled a circuit of 115 miles on Sunday 10 April for charity. Jim took part in the 'Ride to Save Lives' event with 250 other bikers to raise funds in aid of the local air ambulance helicopter. Well done Jim!

in and take it over but it didn't happen."

Gill put the shop's success down to; "building a rapport with the customers, because most people don't know what they want. They think they do, but they're totally off the page!”

She also claimed that the internet has played its part in the shop's closure, with increasing numbers of party-goers ordering online.

Below: Sales assistant Lisa Freeman and owner Gill Barber.

A Currency Conversion Party distributor Delights Direct has launched a new-look website for European customers. All European traders will now be able to view all prices in Euros, pay in Euros and receive all invoices in the same format.

“We wanted to make the transactional function of the site easier and more appealing for our European partners,” said account manager Stuart Wheeler, “and so far the response has been great!”

Above right: All EU customers will now be able to trade in Euros.

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PARTY NEWS

H&P Expo Teams Up With PCA The biggest party and costume event in the world, the Halloween & Party Expo, has teamed up with Party Club of America (PCA), the industry’s largest and most innovative buying group for independentlyowned party, costume, and Halloween retailers.

Registration is now officially open for the 2017 show, which will see the launch of the new partnership. Party Club of America will hold its annual event in conjunction with Halloween & Party Expo in New Orleans, helping to bring the industry together on a singular platform for both retailers and suppliers.

“Organisations like PCA are an important part of the party and

Halloween industries, and we are pleased to be joining forces with them,” said Doug Miller, partner of Urban Expositions, a Clarion Events company.

“We look forward to working with PCA and its membership as we focus on growing the Halloween & Party Expo event and providing a comprehensive business-to-business platform for our customers.”

Founded in 2002, PCA represents more than 300 retail outlets (including brick-andmortar, pop-up, and ecommerce shops) and cultivates a growing preferred supplier programme.

“We’re excited to be working with Halloween & Party Expo,” said Andy Richman,

Say Yes To The (Fancy) Dress Above: Registration is now open for the H&P Expo 2017.

PCA executive director. “As the industry changes and evolves, it’s important for us to align with strong partners who share the same goals: to help our members flourish.”

Marc Beige, chairman of the Halloween Industry Association, commented: “Our members are delighted that PCA will be colocating with Halloween & Party Expo. We look forward to working alongside PCA and welcoming their members to the event.”

Halloween & Party Expo is taking place from 14 – 17 January, 2017, at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. For more information, visit halloweenpartyexpo.com.

There's no question that weddings have become less traditional in recent years, with the bride and groom breaking with convention left, right and centre. However, a recent fancy dress-themed wedding, which took place in Chevington at the end of April, certainly turned heads for all the right reasons.

The eye-catching affair saw children attending in an array of costumes, with Superman, Captain America, Batman and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle all making an appearance, among other colourful characters.

The happy couple also used the fun event to collect donations for the church.

Below: Nicola Turnbull and Scott Embleton encouraged the kids' costumes.

Creative Party Extends Team A Big Balloon Adventure Looking to brush up your balloon skills and fine-tune those tricky techniques? A series of seminars will be taking place across Britain during June and July, focusing on a blend of handson education and business tips for the balloon business.

Keith Stirman cba and Dominic Cassidy (aka The Balloon Brothers) will be touring their one-of-a-kind inspiring and entertaining educational adventure as a series of one-day seminars. In these jam-packed events, participants will learn decor-to-go design ideas for a variety of occasions along with business techniques to increase efficiency and profitability.

Keith and Dom will also be sharing their in-depth knowledge of how to make more money by using the Silhouette Cameo for personalisation techniques. The hands-on classes will look at characters, personalised designs and exploding balloons. All templates and recipes are included.

All of this will be delivered in a fun and unique atmosphere that only The Balloon Brothers can provide. For full details of dates and venues go to www.bapiaonline. com/balloonadventure

Creative Party has welcomed Armine Alaverdjana as its new product and marketing assistant who will be working alongside product and marketing manager, Holly Forder. Armine is a recent university graduate with a BA (Hons) in marketing, who is hoping to apply her Progressive Party Qrt Page acquired knowledge in the ‘real world’. Armine is particularly excited to Ad - Wild West Cowboys May 16.pdf be joining such a fun and dynamic industry.

1 09/05/2016 16:39:20

Above: Armine Alaverdjana

A Patriotic Party While the Queen's 90th birthday isn't quite on the same scale as the 2012 Jubilee and Olympic celebrations, there are likely to be some street parties and other events taking place around the UK. The official celebration – the Queen's Birthday Parade – is taking place on Saturday 11 June. On Sunday 12 June The Mall will be turned into a giant street party, with 10,000 guests enjoying a picnic lunch and being entertained by street performers and circus acts.

Stocking a good selection of Union Jack-themed partyware and decorations is always a safe bet, and any overstock can be safely bought out again for Wimbledon 2016 (27 June) and the Olympic Games, which start on 5 August.

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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PARTY NEWS

Have A Heart

Mask-arade Deals Another Royal Flush First came the Royal wedding, then the Diamond Jubilee and now the Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebrations.

On Sunday June 12 2016, The Mall in St James’s Park was transformed for its largest ever street party to celebrate The Queen’s patronage of over 600 charities and organisations on her 90th birthday.

At the time of writing, there have already been thousands of street party applications across the country, and Mask-arade has seen huge demand for its recently expanded royal range.

“It never fails to amaze me how the British public gets into the spirit of a royal occasion,” said commercial director Ray Duffy.

“Mask-arade face masks are a natural fit for this kind of party atmosphere. They are always a favourite on social media, and Facebook is full of pictures of people wearing them!”

Mask-arade recently enjoyed a successful project working with Stratford District Council. Some 10,000 specially commissioned Shakespeare Masks were manufactured for the celebrations in Stratford

Wedding Balloons Pioneer Europe has launched a brand new Balloon Training course; Wedding Series Part 3. This final course concludes the popular Qualatex Complete Wedding Series and will be taking place throughout June and July.

The hands-on class looks at some of the 'finishing touches' that will really add value and excitement to a beautiful wedding day.

It also offers tips on how best to exhibit at Wedding Fairs as well how to produce a professional quote. During the day the delegates will learn how to create cake table décor, chair décor, bride and groom characters, a quick link heart as well as Above: Wedding arch by Sue Bowler, CBA personalisation.

Ideally, delegates will have attended Wedding Series Part 1 and Part 2, as these previous session cover the more well-known décor ideas such as: entrance décor, top table décor, centrepieces, dance floor décor and special effects. If any interested parties haven’t attended either of the first courses yet, Pioneer recommends booking as soon as possible to gain the maximum benefit from Wedding Series Part 3.

For more information visit the education section on www.QualatexEurope.com.

Pac-Man Power Suits The officially licensed Pac-Man suit from OppoSuits and Bandai Namco has already become an internet sensation and is well on its way to becoming an instant classic.

At the time of writing, no fewer that 47 media outlets have covered the story, and further new stories are appearing every day from all over the world. National and international media platforms such as Bored Panda, Mashable, CNET and New York Magazine have already written about the suit, which is selling immensely well.

Co-founder and director of OppoSuits, Jasper Castelein, is not surprised with the success: "We knew we would be able to create a fantastic suit as soon as we started talking to Bandai Namco, Everyone knows Pac-Man and as the iconic characters are so recognisable we just knew that they would look really cool on a stylish black suit. We’re extremely pleased with the attention the suit has received from customers, as well as the press.”

Right: The Pac-Man OppoSuit has been the source of much joy in a number of online communities.

Above: Mask-arade helps celebrate the work of Wiliam Shakespeare.

upon Avon town centre, marking 400 years since the bard's death.

The masks were worn during the parade, and the resulting photos were seen across international news outlets and social media.

This summer is expected to continue to be a successful one for Mask-arade, with the European Football Championships, Olympic Games and Wimbledon inspiring the public to get into the party spirit.

Films For Fancy Dress A number of films due out this summer are expected to have a big influence on the upcoming fancy dress market.

Notable movies include; ■ Captain America: Civil War (already out) ■ Alice Through The Looking Glass (already out) ■ X -Men: Apocalypse (already out) ■ T eenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (already out)

Balloon business For Every Occasion scooped a local design award earlier this year, winning first prize for its Valentine's Day window display.

The competition, which was organised by Rhyl town council, helped promote the versatility of balloon décor. “The effort and creativity that went into the window designs set our hearts racing,” said Rhyl councillor Joan Butterfield.

Christmasworld 2017 Booked Up It might only just be the start of summer now, but festive trade show Christmasworld 2017 is already booked-up.

Ideal for trendspotting and placing orders throughout the festive and seasonal decoration market, the show offers a reliable business platform for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.

“That is a fantastic result at this stage and represents a huge challenge at the same time,” said director Eva Olbrich, Messe Frankfurt.

At the 2016 show, 966 exhibitors from 45 countries presented seasonal decoration to 37,398 buyers from 114 countries. Hall 9.1 presents Seasonal Decoration and Gifts, while Hall 11.0 focuses on Christmas and Advent.

Next year's show will be taking place from 27 to 31 January 2017.For more information, please visit www. christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com Below: The latest festive trends can be seen at Christmasworld.

■ Finding Dory (Fri 17 June) ■ The BFG (Fri 1 July) ■ Ghostbusters (Fri 15 July) ■ Star Trek Beyond (Fr i 22 July) ■S uicide Squad (Fri 5 August)

New Members For Fun Shack Costume company Fun Shack has appointed three new sales team members. Louisa Forde and Paul Clarke have joined the team as sales reps, with Louisa covering the south of England and Paul overseeing the north, midlands, Wales and Scotland. Debbie Morgan has also joined the team and will be responsible for business development.

New Inflators From Premium Premium Balloon has introduced two new inflators, designed to improve inflation for balloon professionals. Ready to ship immediately, the Premium inflators are available in 120 volt and 230 volt models, ideal for Europe, UK and Australia.

Manufactured under Premium’s high quality standards, the inflators all come with a one-year conditional warranty, and are also CE-approved for Europe, CSA for Canada and pending approvals for Australia.

For more information, please visit www.premiumballoon.com.

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Say EH-OH to Amscan’s new range of partyware and balloons!

Tinky Winky, Dispy, Laa-Laa and Po feature in this fun filled, colourful collection of partyware and balloons.

Available to pre-order now.

Add itio i t lau ems nal Sep nchin t 20 g 16 TELETUBBIES and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of DHX Worldwide Limited. ©2016 DHX Worldwide Limited. All Rights Reserved www.teletubbies.com

01908 288 500 sales@amscan-uk.co.uk www.amscan.co.uk ©Amscan 2016, ©Anagram 2016 All rights reserved

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The BAPIA Boost

Secret Weapons for Small Business Success John Bowler has been part of the party industry for more years than he cares to remember! John currently runs the Balloon And Party Industry Alliance (or BAPIA) and can be contacted on info@bapiaonline.com.

Do you ever find yourself wondering, “How is my small shop ever supposed to compete with the big-box chain retailers?” Sure, they have huge advertising budgets, more employees, and more resources overall.

But there’s one thing they don’t have: a real connection to the community.

Use this to your advantage, and start focusing on the secret weapons in your small business arsenal.”

Leverage Your Small Biz Flexibility “No-one knows your local community and neighbourhood better than you! Use this knowledge to craft customised messages for your market. Small businesses have the flexibility to implement marketing initiatives without having to go through multiple stages of corporate approval.

Unlike large chain retailers, you also have the flexibility to research new products and add them to your offering more quickly. This means you can capitalise on trends in a more timely manner.

In the spirit of supporting local business, try sourcing unique materials or finished goods from other local manufacturers or artists. For instance, a balloon delivery shop might offer an exclusive line of hand-made cards from a fellow artist to complement its balloon arrangements.

Finally, the personal touch goes a long way toward creating a good impression with customers. This may come in the form of your packaging, your customer Above: Encouraging people to shop locally benefits the whole community.

service, or even a handwritten thankyou note (something you definitely won’t find the ‘big boys’ doing!).”

Get Social in Person “There’s so much going on outside the walls of your store that can ultimately impact the sales inside your store. Get in the habit of staying informed with what’s happening in your community.

Any time you can expand your presence and get involved in local events, you’re not only creating goodwill but also reaching more potential customers.

Look into a membership with your local chamber of commerce or other small business alliance. You’ll often get invites to various networking opportunities that can lead to valuable new connections.

And even if these connections don’t result in any direct sales, chances are you’ll come away with some useful ideas or tips to grow your business. Establishing relationships with other local businesses can also lead to future customer referrals.

Have you noticed all the different charity and fundraising races popping up everywhere? These are often organised with the help of sponsorships, which provide an opportunity for local businesses to get their name out (and help a good cause at the same time).

Hosting an open house at your business is a fun way to draw new customers.

Holidays are a great excuse to do this and promote your seasonal offerings.

Create a festive mood by playing music and providing simple refreshments for customers to enjoy while browsing. If you can co-ordinate the timing with another larger event happening locally, this will help increase traffic.”

Get Social Online “Social media can also keep you more connected to customers. Post regularly on your profiles to encourage engagement.

When someone ‘Likes’ or ‘Comments’ on a Facebook post, their friends will also see this activity in their news feed.

What Is BAPIA? The Balloon And Party Industry Alliance, or BAPIA as it’s more commonly known, is designed to work for the party industry to promote the benefits of using industry professionals and to bring significant benefits to our members.

BAPIA is a member of the European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC) and keeps members updated on the latest news, including the most recent initiative – the Code Of Best Practice for balloon retailers and professionals.

You can read more about this in BAPIA’s latest quarterly newsletter.

Mailed directly to members, John is happy to send a copy of the latest edition to interested parties – simply email him at info@bapiaonline.com.

Likewise, if you’re hosting a special event at your store, create a Facebook event on your business page. When fans of your page show that they are interested their Facebook friends will see it too. Another effective way to generate buzz about your business is to host a giveaway or other contest that encourages people to share on their profiles.

Additionally, keep an eye out for social media campaigns or collaborative efforts related to small businesses. It could be something as simple as using a specific hashtag in your posts, or a more involved initiative where you need to register to participate (such as Small Business Saturday UK).

Utilising all of these secret weapons will help set your small business apart from the world of mass-produced merchandise and impersonal service. Want more information on how you can set yourself apart from the big chains? Sign up to receive the BAPIA newsletter at info@bapiaonline.com!

“

R “

etail can be a fiercely competitive industry, with larger companies dominating on lower pricing and promotions.

But there are ways the smaller businesses can fight back, as John points out, suggesting ways independent party retailers can gain the competitive edge over big-box stores.

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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The Jester Says

THE JESTER SAYS

A New Perspective On Party Writing freely, from behind a magical cloak of confidentiality, The Jester draws on an entire lifetime of party experience to bring us controversial opinions, interesting viewpoints and all the latest industry gossip, fresh from the grapevine...

“I

was going to write a different article than this but am taking a change of direction for this issue. Recently I was lucky enough – no, privileged enough – to go to some of the events at this year’s Invictus Games, which were taking place in Orlando Florida. This has had the quite dramatic effect of changing my whole outlook on life and made me reasess a few things when it comes to work, retail and the party industry.

I saw the British team beat Australia for the Americans have a massive amount a bronze medal in the wheelchair rugby of national pride. All colours, ethnicities and then be beaten by the USA team for a and religions stand behind the Stars and silver medal in the wheelchair basketball.

Stripes, proud to be a citizen of the United Several things struck me while I watched States. Maybe this is something that we these matches, but the one that stood out could replicate in the United Kingdom? If the most is something probably common we all counted ourselves as citizens of the to all of us. Sometimes I am happy to work United Kingdom and put this before colour, hard to achieve my goals in life / work religion or whether we are Irish, Scottish, and sometimes I Welsh or English the just lie in bed in the country would be a Sometimes we take it for morning and think more harmonious ‘what’s the point?’. place to live? granted that we have the best After witnessing Something that job in the world, as the party the effort and did strike me was industry is built on celebration, determination of the amount of USA laughter and fun. these forces veteran companies who had a athletes I am left policy of employing exwondering what I have really got to moan service men and women, this is their way of about. A lot of these men and women showing support to the armed forces. I am have been to hell and back, and many are not suggesting that employers in the party left with recurring nightmares which they industry – which is largely formed of small will never escape. Maybe the next time a and medium-sized companies – would be delivery is late or I miss a big sale, I will able to make a real difference to the issue of be able to remember their bravery and ex-service personnel finding employment. determination. Issues with maintaining But everything has to start somewhere? my stock levels or securing wholesale There is nothing stopping local discounts suddenly pale into insignificance. party retailers supporting our troops It was very by offering all services a discount. evident that There are about 144,000 people in the Below: National pride military, all with families that celebrate is no bad thing in birthdays and have parties! It’s a great an industry built

“

”

on having fun.

Right: The military is much more than just a just a good theme for a party.

opportunity for us to increase our customer base as well, so we all win.

This could be a way of giving a little back to the men and women who protect our sovereignty, allowing us the freedom to run our business and sell the fabulous products that we and our customers enjoy. Sometimes we take it for granted that we have the best job in the world as the party industry is built on celebrations, laughter and fun.

The slogan for the Invictus Games comes from a poem from William Henley. I have indulged myself by including the poem in this article.

“Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”

If this column has made you think, please consider making a donation to Help For Heroes or another forces charity of your choice.

“

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Be inspired with Amscan this Halloween

E o

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Exclusive new collection of face paints and accessories!

The opportunities are endless with this diverse collection including solid colour creams and palettes, special effects, face paint and accessory kits and more.

Who are you going to be?

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BALLOONS BALLOONS The hottest emoticons are now 18" foil balloons!

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New products don’t come much better than this...

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Rainbow Bright

Brightly-coloured rainbow-themed parties are becoming increasingly popular, and so Unique Party has introduced this Rainbow Ribbon range for 2016, which includes plates, cups and napkins. The burst of colours is completely unisex and perfect for either an adult or child’s birthday party.

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Football Crazy

A brilliant addition to Orion Costume’s ever-expanding range of inflatable fancy dress ideas, this inflatable football costume includes a built-in self inflating fan, meaning it is ready to roll in minutes! This tremendous inflatable will go down a storm at football events, stag dos, festivals and summer parties.

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ll The Fun A Of The Fair

This fun range of pop-up fancy dress booths from Fun Shack are the perfect way to bring fun to a summer party, festival or other event. Just slip on easily over normal clothes, one size fits most.

The complete range includes Punch the Puppet, Judy The Puppet, Kissing Booth and Fortune Teller booth.

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Australian rockers 5SOS are in the middle of a 90 date sell-out global tour and these recently released Mask-arade masks of Calum, Mikey, Luke and Ashton are a hit among fans.

With over 550 million views on YouTube, expecting big things are expected of the band in 2016 and beyond.

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Neon Nights

Pam’s has increased its range of Paintglow neon glow makeup and has now included mascara, eyeliner, nail polish and hair chalks to the extensive range, ideal for summer festivals and 80s-style discos.

ive Seconds F Of Pop

Going Dotty

Amscan has expanded its vibrant Dots and Chevron collection to include additional on-trend colours and items.

New colour themes to the range include Rainbow, Mixed Metals, Bright Royal Blue, Apple Red and Jet Black.

Now includes tableware, decorations and party accessories.

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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What’s New?

What’s New In Europe?

Looking for something a bit different? Then it’s time for an international shopping spree!

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Cool Costumes

Pam’s has added over another 100 new lines from new European supplier Guira, bringing the portfolio to over 300 products in total from them alone. New lines include costumes for both adults and children with lots of complete oufits and accessories at a great price, all available to order now.

■

Walk The Plank!

This child’s Carribean Pirate from Leg Avenue allows little girls with attitude to be a pirate rather than a princess. The detailed, high-quality costume comes complete with hat, waistcoat and skirt, and is perfect for all the budding Long Jane Blackbeards out there.

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This new collection from Godan has been designed especially for first birthday parties. The complete My First Birthday range includes everything from ballons and decorations to tableware and candles. Available in both blue and pink.

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Back In Black

This simple black décor line from Folat is a big hit and sells well throughout Europe. It is expected to prove particularly popular at Halloween, but can be used to add a dramatic and sophisticated twist to any setting, from birthdays through to festivals and everything inbetween!

■

Sphinx Style

This year has seen an impressive selection of new costumes and accessories being added into Widmann’s party fashion range. This fantastic Egyptian Queen is selling particularly well and is expected to continue to do so throughout the summer.

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Oh Nurse!

This Nurse Nikki costume from Leg Avenue has a 50s inspired dress with netted skirt and cute see-through sleeves for a classy, fun look, setting it apart from the more typical nurse costume. Perfect for period events as well as nights out on the town.

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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■ Pony Play With both retro and current appeal, My Little Pony is a global success story right now. This wonderfully colourful rainbow My Little Pony tableware and accessory range from Unique Party is available now, featuring some of the more popular characters, and is perfect for pony-fans of all ages.

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■W ho You

■ Keep Swimming

The upcoming Ghostbusters movie has been making waves in film buff circles, thanks to its all-female cast. Due to launch in mid-July, the party trade is likely to see an increase in both ghosts and ghostbusting – and Rubie’s has costumes available for fans of all genders.

Perfect for Halloween and festivals!

This summer’s big movie release is Finding Dory, which revisits the fun underwater world of everyone’s favourite forgetful blue tang fish Dory (and Nemo, of course). Pioneer has partnered with Disney Pixar for a fab collection of balloons – in latex and Bubbles – available in time for the UK film launch in July this year. Tableware from Procos will also be available through Pioneer.

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■ Forgetful Friend Amscan has launched a new range of Finding Dory party accessories and balloons throughout Europe. With a fresh design featureing key characters Dory and Nemo, plus new character Hank the octopus, party items include banners, hanging swirls and honeycomb decorations. A complete range of foil balloons is also available, from handheld designs to AirWalkers.

■ F. A. B.

■ Time To Shop!

The Thunderbirds are Go dress-up range from Pretend to Bee now includes iconic characters Virgil and Alan. They join the supremely popular Scott Tracy costume which has already proved to be a real hit with fans of the new animation. All costumes include a unique soundchip featuring the famous blast off sequence.

The latest collectible to take hold in playgrounds up and down the country is Shopkins – the super-cute, super tiny, grocery-themed collectibles that are inspired by items on sale in the grocery store. This partyware collection from Gemma includes a complete tableware collection and colourful party bags.

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With some accessories it can print also punchballs and 5” . It is available in 3 models according the production speed. According the model it can print 1000,1500,1800 pcs per hour.

It can print 1 color on 2 sides simultaneously + different prints on 2 different latex balloons (duplex printing process). It can print from 9” to 14” and hearts. With some accessories it can print also punchballs and 5” .

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Production speed 1200-1500 pcs per hour.

This machine can print latex balloons one color two sides or two colors two sides simultaneously with a very good print log. It can print from 10” to 14” and hearts. With special accessories it can print also punchballs and 5”. Production speed 1200-1500 pcs per hour.

This machine can print from 1 to 4 colors one side latex balloons with a very good print log. Good to print on latex balloons color photos.

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This machine can print latex balloons from 1 to 6 colors one side with a perfect print log. It can print form 9” to 16”. Ideal to print on latex balloons color photos. It is available in 4-5-6 colors printing model. Production speed 800-900 pcs per hour.

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With this machine you can print semiautomatically latex balloons deflated up to 4 colors with a perfect register! You can print also foil and PVC balloons and other objects!

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Adding some accessories to this machine, will make it possible to print other objects like pens, t-shirts and mylar balloons.

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This machine is well-appreciated for its handiness.

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PartyDeco

Art of The

DESIGN Polish party company PartyDeco is a key producer and supplier of themed decorations, created especially for occasions ranging from weddings and birthdays to Carnival and Halloween. With its own creative studio, style and design are at the heart of everything PartyDeco does, as PPE found out.

G

etting some first-hand experience is always the best way to understand what a market needs, as the team at PartyDeco are all too aware. The company launched in 1995, running a retail business and decorating wedding venues before moving into producing its own designs and creations.

“The fact that we started with decorating wedding reception halls as well as running the shop with decorations allowed us to gain invaluable experience,” explained sales director Anna Nowak. “This is now paying off, as we are more able to accurately identify our customers’ needs.”

Now in its 21st year of business, PartyDeco is well-established in the European party market as a creative designer and manufacturer of party goods.

Its design department was formed over a decade ago, creating a clear advantage within the industry, and all the different designs, themes and styles of PartyDeco products are created by a dozen or so designers. “The aim of the design department is to create modern designs, going beyond the more widely available regular looks and standard templates,” said Anna, “and it’s made a big difference to our business, as the result of our effort to constantly improve the products and the service we provide.”

Importance Of Aesthetics Feedback from PartyDeco customers makes it clear that having such a keen sense of design and style makes a big difference. “Our customers when asked about the reason they work with us - most often say that it is the access to unique, original and highly aesthetic products,” Anna pointed out. “They are not available at other distributors and not based on typical themes, so we have a really unique offering.”

These original decoration designs are both unique and universal in nature – individual customers’ needs and current market requirements are always Left: Halloween decorations and costumes are key to PartyDeco’s offering.

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Main pic: Anna Nowak, sales director, at PartyDeco’s HQ in Szczecin. Below:The Little Plane birthday collection.

taken into consideration. The design department follows constant trend changes and fashions so it is able to predict and react to current customers’ needs.

Because the design team is so proactive, PartyDeco is able to develop its product

PartyDeco In Numbers ■ 21 years of history, ■ Over 120 employees, ■ 1,000 m² of offices and studios, ■ 7,000 m² of warehouses and production buildings, ■ 1,000’s of unique products, and ■ 1,000’s of business partners across Europe.

MAY/JUNE 2016

06/06/2016 12:47

PartyDeco

Close To Customers “Export is an important part of PartyDeco’s business,” said Anna, “and we currently trade with partners from 28 different countries, with most of these based in western Europe.”

As part of a concerted effort to streamline long-distance export business, PartyDeco customers have access to customer service members and account managers in seven languages: Polish, English, German, French, Italian, Russian and Ukrainian.

“The PartyDeco team will cover any distance to meet with customers and ensure it fulfills their needs,” continued Anna, “Although the team is also available at the PartyDeco office in Szczecin and customers are encouraged to visit the showroom!”

PartyDeco also exhibits at Spielwarenmesse trade fair in Nuremberg each year, offering visitors the opportunity to see all the most up-to-date lines and newest designs.

Another key advantage of PartyDeco’s products is the packaging they come in.

It is also created in-house at the design studio and is carefully made and wellconsidered, with product information in a number of languages, making it ideal for the export market. Standarised packaging sizes as well as euro slots allow fast, aesthetic and effective display of PartyDeco products at retail.

Reliability At Your Fingertips Of course, very few businesses can be built solely on aesthetics, and so quality of product and service is just as important.

By ensuring some of their products are produced in Poland, PartyDeco has direct quality control over those lines.

“We have also introducedour own quality control system of all imported products,” said Anna, “based on a double verification of the external producers by the company’s inspectors both during the production process and after it.”

Because part of the production is based in central Europe, all European customers are guaranteed a fast delivery directly to their premises, regardless of where in the EU they are based.

“We also have long-standing relationships with transport companies which mean we can offer very attractive prices for shipment,” explained Anna.

“The products are also insured during the delivery process.”

An emphasis on customer service means that PartyDeco also places a great deal of importance on stock availability, which has been vastly Above: The PartyDeco offering frequently, improved in the last year, thanks design Studio is an introducing new products in part to a new distribution centre essential part of every month. Each new which launched in 2015. This 5,000 sq the business. catalogue contains the m warehouse is fully equipped with the latest colours, designs and textures. “As latest technology and allows PartyDeco a result, all the retailers to ensure effective management working with PartyDeco of resources such as increasing The PartyDeco are able to develop stock levels of certain products showroom, based their own offers on an according to current needs. in Szczecin, allows ongoing basis,” said retailers to pay the Anna. “It keeps things Stable And Reliable team a visit and take fresh for everyone, Offering a comprehensive service a look at the complete customers included!” in the party industry means range of decorations, Because appearance combining design, production, party accesories and and presentation is so import, distribution and export of balloons in a ‘real important to PartyDeco, life’ setting. “We are the company also has able to see how our its own specialised customers react to photographic studio our products, and see where it employs what their likes and photographers and expectations are,” stylists to create high explained Anna. “It quality photos which also gives display can then be used to inspiration and ideas promote the products while also ensuring both on the internet and that all product in any printed materials. displays well in a retail This professional photo setting. Visitors are service is available to always welcome!”

PartyDeco’s business customers free of charge.

thousands of party products, all destined for decorating wedding venues and other events. “By focusing closely on each of these elements, we have been able to ensure we remain a strong, independent and reliable name in the market,” said Anna. “Over 2,000 regular wholesale distributors also help the company ensure that retailers can benefit from a stable distribution base.”

Now in its 21st year, having such a well-established and ongoing presence in Below: Anna with the PartyDeco team.

Location, Location, Location PartyDeco is based in Szczecin (Poland), approximately 10km from Polish-German border and just 150km from Berlin, one of the most significant capital cities in Europe. “Running a company from such a business-friendly and safe region in Europe is definitely one of the factors influencing our stable position in the market,” said Anna. the market acts as its own guarantee of a strong brand. As such, the PartyDeco name is gaining greater recognition in Europe and around the world.

The company’s turnover increases on a yearly basis, and so its no surprise that PartyDeco is considered to be one of the most dynamically developing companies among small and mediumsized enterprises in Poland.

“Our goal is to become the very best in our field by not only designing new products but also building the best business at the highest level, using modern management and advanced information technologies,” concluded Anna.

And by offering customers a combination of coherent, attractive product and a modern business approach, it seems that PartyDeco is doing exactly that.

Left: The PartyDeco warehouse is clean and modern.

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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03/06/2016 15:42

Country Focus: Poland

With a strong costume hire industry and a booming balloon décor sector, the party market in Poland is becoming healthier each year as it borrows traditions, themes and retail patterns from its European neighbours.

PPE takes a look at the current Polish party market and the opportunities it offers.

Inset: Many of Poland’s biggest celebrations centre on long-held traditions.

THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY F rom Carnival to ‘name days’, celebrating long-established traditions is essential in Poland, where religion and family play an important role in society and are deeply intertwined with the country’s culture.

Those celebrations take many different forms, from full-scale parades and festivals to more personal events in the home. The Polish community has always enjoyed having fun, but the introduction of dedicated party retailers is a relatively new concept, and so the party trade in itself is very much a growth market.

One such retailer is Sklep Animatora, which first launched several years ago in Krakow. It is now a major Polish party retailer, with a second shop based in Katowice and a fully-serviced online retail outlet catering for the whole country. Marketing manager Agnieszka Byrska told PPE that the developing market is making a big difference to the company’s trade.

Right: Polish party distributor Godan has a strong kids’ costume offering.

Happy Name Day! Traditionally, name day celebrations (or ‘imieniny’) are more important than birthday celebrations in Poland. A name day celebration marks the feast day for the saint whose name the celebrant bears, as most Catholic Poles are named for saints. They are similar to birthdays, in that family and friends gather to eat, drink, and give gifts. However, birthday celebrations are becoming increasingly popular, particularly among the younger generation.

Right: Balloon Decorations for a children’s picnic theme, from Studio Dekoracji Balonowych.

“Every year the market develops and we have more and more customers.

The reason for this is the development of the services market,” she explained.

“Animators (party organisers) have more orders thanks to the increasing numbers of children’s birthday parties, wedding receptions and other outdoor events, so they often buy from our shops.”

According to Krzysztof Malewski, director at Polish party supplier Godan; “The Polish retail market is stable and still growing. The reason of it is because we are behind the world biggest party markets, so we are catching up!”

This, he explained, means that there are more party retailers entering the market.

“Because the party market is relatively new and still growing we are seeing more and more retailers,” he explained.”Some of them are getting quite big, and are even specialising in certain areas, such as birthday parties or decorations.”

As far trends and fashions go, Krzysztof explained that – so far – the market hasn’t really been changing very much from year-to-year.

“It doesn’t really follow any trends either,” he continued. “Although good quality products are very doing well, especially with nice, new product.”

When asked what makes the Polish market special, Krzysztof emphasised the relative youth of the market. “Really,

retail has only been focusing on party in that way for the last four or five years, so it is relatively new. The most dominating themes though are birthday party, Halloween and carnival.”

From a retailer’s perspective, Agnieszka enthused about the fact that; “Polish people love simple solutions!” She explained that because of so many party organisers using the stores, the items they use often dominate the best-sellers lists, with products designed for face painting and balloon modelling doing well, alongside soap bubbles and costumes.

“Balloons with helium, balloons for modelling, balloons with images of characters from fairy tales – kids love them all,” Agnieszka said. “Other trends often remain unchanged. People love the costumes of animals (cat, elephant, tiger, etc.) and the fairytale costumes (princess, pirate, Winnie the Pooh, Superman, Batman, etc.). But most important is quality.”

Right: Sporting celebrations are big news in Poland; this was from UEFA Euro 2012.

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Country Focus: Poland

The Lowdown On Godan Polish distributor Godan has been a familiar face on the Polish party market since 1991, offering all kind of products: balloons, costumes, carnival product, Valentine’s Day and Halloween lines, tableware, weddings, etc. It also offers a complete balloon decorating service and runs training programmes helping to educate others in the sector.

Operating from both a trade website and a bricks-and-mortar cash and carry, Godan has seen its export sales grow by 100% in the last 12 months.

“There are a few themes that do particularly well in Poland,” agreed Krzysztof, “for example our new Polka Dots line.” He also explained that branding and licensing is quite Below: Popular products from Godan reflect Poland’s mix of modern and classic.

important, saying that; “it gives an advantage over competitors and having famous themes means that people can be sure the product is good quality.”

“In general, licensed products are more expensive than other products of the same quality,” Krzysztof continued, “and often clients don’t want to pay so much. However, it is still important to have an exclusive license during the marketing of certain movies or events.”

The strongest trends and most important seasons for the Polish partygoer,

according to Krzysztof, are Halloween, Christmas and Carnival. Birthday celebrations are also strong throughout the whole year, making it the bestselling trend overall. “Because the Polish market is relatively new there are very few traditions specific for Poland,” he explained. “So we are adopting some from abroad!”

Agnieszka agreed, pointing out that key seasons like Halloween are becoming more important in Poland as the market begins to reflect the success it sees in other EU countries, like the UK. “Halloween, carnival, and, above all, the holiday season are great for the Polish party retailer,” she said. “Also in Poland an important occasion for celebrations is Children’s Day (1 June) and New Year’s Eve. And of course, the summer is always good! That is when the fun continues all the time!”

The evolution of the market has seen some notable changes – for example, until recently, the wedding market was the most popular occasion to celebrate; that top spot has now been now taken over by birthday parties. “These changes are noticeable,” said Krzysztof, “and people are more and more interested in celebrating with costumes, decorations and other party product.”

Of course, it’s not all plain sailing, with the Polish market facing the same problems as much of the rest of the EU. “There are some imitations from Far East but they are not very popular,” Krzysztof explained. “The biggest challenge is still internet selling.”

The rise of internet stores making inevitable inroads into what is a traditional retail market has created a ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ situation, where party shops looking to remain competitive have also created their own online stores.

“Many people began to buy on the internet,” agreed Agnieszka.”Customers expect rapid implementation of the sale and permanent contact with the shop and we cannot let them down.”

She explained how important social media is as well, pointing out that; “By making sure we are lots of fun, we have a good fanpage on Facebook. Customers can rate our service, write comments and give a ‘like’ in posts. It is very important to us.”

Left: Poland has a number of traditional carnival and festival celebrations, particularly at Easter.

Above: Classic birthday and communion balloon deco from Artur Chojnacki at ProArti.

As a growing market, the Polish party sector has been growing steadily over the last few years, and as such, there is a positive mood at retail. “The market is great,” said Agnieszka, “and in the future it can only get better! Polish people love to have fun and that will never change. More and more, they are enjoying creative solutions, events, games and fun.” And long may it last!

Partying In Poland Polish traditions through the year include holidays, customs, superstitions, rituals, and celebrations. Some are firmly rooted in the the national religion, Catholicism; others stem from pagan rites of seasons.

■ Juwenalia – the ‘Festival of Students’ - is a tradition celebrated all over Poland.

This event usually occurs towards the beginning of summer (May or early June). Parades take place and people wear costumes. Students are also given the keys to the city, a tradition dating back to medieval Krakow.

Juwenalia is an excuse to party!

■ Wianki is a pagan festival honoring the midsummer solstice. Krakow’s Wianki celebrations are second to none, and include traditional customs (and costumes!) concerts by big-name performers, fireworks displays, and an annual market.

■ All Saints’ Day is accompanied by the beautiful tradition of decorating cemeteries with thousands of glowing candles. Deceased family and friends are honoured with memories, church services, and flickering candles that brighten graveyards all over Poland on 1 November.

■ Andrzejki, or St. Andrew’s Day, is a traditional holiday that occurs on November 29. It’s a fun-filled evening of superstition and fortune telling. On this night, young women can predict who they’ll meet and fall in love with!

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FEEDBACK

The Retail Report The first half of 2016 has gone by in a bit of a blur, with Book Week, St Patrick’s Day and Easter all making their mark on the party market. As we reach the halfway point of the year, PPE asked a few party retailers to share their thoughts on the year so far and what they think the rest of 2016 has to offer.

Rebecca Lee-Allen partner, Frog Orange, Oxford

The Year So Far? “The party market has been steady so far, neither good nor bad. An early Easter never helps…

Book week was the stand out occasion with Harry Potter continuing to do well.

This was the first year that I noticed the supermarkets really pushing book week costumes. Our local Asda gave it a huge push. We can’t offer their prices so can’t compete on costumes but we do offer every imaginable accessory, prop and add ons such as good quality make up.

Summer is never brilliant in Oxford. All the students go home and footfall is down with so many locals on holiday. We have a cracking May and June though with students

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celebrating the end of year exams, school proms, May balls and weddings.

Our hire department is doing better than ever. The sale of packeted costumes has been so entirely ruined by etailers prices that we have focused on fantastic quality hire costumes and mascots. The hire department has improved so much that we are considering dropping kidswear altogether to give it more space on the shop floor. Book week is the only thing stopping me from taking the plunge.”

Halloween predictions?

“After the awesomeness that was Halloween 2015 falling on a Saturday, we are predicting a quieter one this year. This year it’ll be on a Monday and the kids will be back at school after the half term break. It’ll still be good though and we’ll be concentrating in going as scary as hell! We don’t do cute, leave that to the supermarkets. We focus on make-up, unusual masks, disgusting decorations and more types blood than you knew existed.”

Kate Moore owner, JollyJesters, Alfreton The Year So Far “We’ve definitely been busier this year than for the same period last year. Not completely sure why, although the main feedback from customers is that they’ve become disillusioned with ordering from the internet.

We’ve picked up a lot of new customers (and reclaimed a few previous ones!) for this reason.

Amazon’s habit of quoting a fake RRP which bears no relation to the true RRP and then ‘discounting’ that price so that the customer ‘saves’ 65% is finally starting to become transparent. This online price which draws the customer in is very often not the price the customer ends up paying. It took a while for people to realise this, but at last they are.”

Halloween Predictions?

“I think Halloween will be owned by the multiples again this year. It’s an easy gig for them – they can just stack it and sell it. We can’t compete on price, so we have to compete on service.

I guess most Halloween events this year will be on Saturday 29 October rather than Monday 31 October, so that might affect the customer flow and make it more manageable than when it’s all concentrated into a Friday or Saturday!”

Top Selling Lines?

“Qualatex balloons are always our top seller but we are also doing well with Northstar emoji balloons, Talking Tables tableware, Bristol Novelty rubber masks and accessories, Grimas Make up and fireworks

by Jonathan’s Fireworks and Kimbolton fireworks….oh and anything unicorn!”

Above right: Rubie’s Suicide Squad costumes are ones to watch.

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Feedback: 2016 So Far

Dan Parsons director, Fun ‘n’ Frolic, Reading The Year So Far “It’s not been too bad so far, although business is pretty hit and miss. One week is great, the next... not so great.

We had a pretty awful April and Easter, but since then it is certainly looking up. We are looking forward to a busy final six months of the year.

Book day was absolutely fantastic. It’s our third highest peak in sales after Halloween and New Year’s Eve, and has become a major money spinner at an otherwise relatively quiet period. Hen nights have started to come thick and fast now and we can’t seem to have enough sashes. So far this year, party, balloons and décor has been selling really well and dress-up seems to have taken a slump in some departments, although kids costumes continue to do well.

Summer tends to be the lull before the storm. Party and balloons will carry on doing well throughout the summer, with weddings and outdoor parties creating more and more balloon and décor sales. Her Majesty’s 90th birthday celebrations are creating a stir with Union flags and bunting taking most of the sales. The Reading Festival site is right opposite us, fantastic for sales I hear you cry! Quite the opposite. Our normal, regular customers stay away due to the hordes of people and the great unwashed, as they are affectionately known locally, (me included most years), seem not be too enthused by what we do here.

Any ideas to get 70,000 people across the road in to the store, answers on a postcard please.

Paul McDermott online sales, Party Warehouse, Derry, N.Ireland The Year So Far “This has been one of our busiest first and second quarters since we started trading in

We are getting more and more sales and interest through social media. We have dedicated job roles for social media now and its paying dividends. We have 13k likes on Facebook and we have been using MailChimp for newsletters and promotions for nearly two years now. This is a great service and is a surefire way of getting your name remembered by existing customers and is an easy way to target individual groups and organisations.”

Halloween Predictions?

“We have a 10,000 square foot store… but we need more space!

That seems to be our discussion every year. We are going to allocate more space to Halloween this year and make sure our queuing system is rethought. We are also going to need to look at our car park, as 40 spaces is not sufficient. The leisure centre opposite came to our rescue last year and we are hoping for a similar deal with them. But will it be as busy as last year? Can we top those sales? I’m confident we can. I’m looking forward to seeing how Rubie’s Suicide Squad sells for the crazy period too!”

Top Selling Lines?

“Partyware, balloons, banners, décor to go and scene setters are doing really well for us. Décor bubbles from Qualatex continue to be a top seller for us, especially within our portfolio pieces, with literally hundreds being sold. We have put a lot of effort in to creating a separate 3,000 sq ft department for partyware and it really has been superb.”

1999. Communions are always a busy time for us, but have been exceptionally busy this year as a result of the balloon boutique concept by Qualatex that we installed in November.We have struck up an excellent relationship with Qualatex and have big plans for expansion taking the boutique concept to a new level.

In summer time, July and August are generally busy – mostly bolstered by Hawaiian theme parties. We have the Clipper Round The World race stopping by us again this year, so we expect to be busy for that soon.”

Halloween Predictions?

“Halloween is always out of this world.

Our home town of Derry-Londonderry has been a European hub for Halloween

festivities for many years and is getting bigger and bigger each time.”

Top Selling Lines?

“As always the big brands sell well. Rubie’s has an extensive licenced catalogue of costumes which go all year round.

Again Qualatex have to get a big shout out as they have been superb especially our new rep, Alan.”

Right: Northstar’s Emoji balloons have been selling well.

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Halloween 2016

lc o m e T o T h e e W

FREAK SHOW!

T

he biggest and most important holiday within the party industry, Halloween is a time for celebrating all that is weird, wonderful and scary, bringing a welcome boost to party retailers.

Last year, market research company Planet Retail pegged the UK’s Halloween spending at £330m, a dramatic jump from the £12m it was worth in 2001. Of course, much of this is spent on pumpkins, food and drink and other consumables, but there’s still a significant chunk reserved for costumes, accessories and decorations. It’s a similar story right across Europe, although there are many countries in which Halloween hasn’t quite taken hold yet – meaning there’s plenty of room for growth in the future!

Colour Me Scared “Halloween is a very competitive market so retailers need to be thinking in terms of the products they stock. Generic bright coloured products in classic Halloween colours such as green, orange, purple and black will help to avoid overstock on seasonal items.”

Holly Forder, Creative Party “Halloween is the biggest selling part of the party calendar,” agreed Sergio Battaner, marketing director at Palmer Agencies, “but while there are more people ‘giving it a go’, only the reputed and savvy specialist will make a killing out of it!”

Well-known for its Halloween offering, Palmer Agencies is constantly on the lookout for quality unique products, and this year has received great attention for its new Trick or Treat masks,

As Halloween takes hold across Europe and the costumes, special effects and decorations become increasingly creative, PPE takes a look at what’s in store for retailers looking to make a killing... a highly detailed and hand-painted range with scary licenses like Game of Thrones, Halloween, Gremlins, Child’s Play and American Horror Story.

“This year is our biggest ever Halloween offering,” said Sergio, who believes that gruesome lines such as zombies and scary clowns are going to be bigger than ever this year. “While costumes are still important; accessories, make up, masks and gruesome prosthetics are now favourites among the dressing-up population.”

Halloween is also a hugely important market for Bristol Novelty. “Halloween is now officially recognised as the UK’s main party event with significant yearon-year growth across the whole of the party sector,” pointed out Bristol Novelty’s business development manager Gary Vincent. “This is very evident with the big supermarket chains coming into the market place over recent years, looking to capitalise on the event.”

Gary’s predictions for this year’s Halloween include party décor, because of the new products such as stickers and wall posters which are very affordable, and Day of the Dead, which he believes will: “continue to grow in popularity, with its unique and stylish look”.

Day of the Dead has also been identified as a key trend for 2016 by Amscan, as marketing executive Charlotte Cox explained.

“We aim to appeal to all ages and tastes so whether the end consumer is after a cute family

Above left to right: A classic witch from the Salem trials, by InCharacter. Harley Quinn is expected to do well for Rubie’s this year.

Is it man or is it monkey? from Palmer Agencies. Below: Making the most of make-up with a new collection from Maskworld.com.

friendly theme, something gory or something trendy such as Day of the Dead, we have something for everyone.”

Amscan continually adds to its most popular themes. For example, a new adult partyware collection, ‘Boneyard’, offers a fresh take on the skeleton theme which, according to Charlotte, “Remains one of the most popular choices, and is closely linked to the Day of the Dead trend.”

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Halloween 2016

Unique Party develops brand new Halloween ensembles each year, and has developed a focused Day of the Dead partyware collection for 2016. “It’s one of three new ranges,” said marketing assistant Sophie Robinson. “Smiling pumpkin, for children’s Halloween parties; painted pumpkin, with a more alternative pumpkin design and Day of the Dead, which looks great on tableware.”

Another company focusing on Halloween is Pam’s, with 100 brand new lines making an appearance in the new

2016 catalogue.

“Each year we speak to our customers and make sure we are stocking the right products,” said sales director Carl Taylor. “We also encourage our retailers to place their orders early to guarantee stock. Our Halloween sales have increased year-on-year and we expect 2016 to be one of our biggest yet.”

As far as themes go, Carl said; “We have already placed orders for new fancy dress costumes from Morphsuits which we expect to be extremely popular in 2016, especially with the new legendary horror characters Jeff the Killer, Slenderman and Zalgo due to arrive anytime soon.”

A recent increase in the number of popular horror movies and television series is reflected right across the board, with a number of licensed lines likely to do well. “This is the peak time of the year for the dress-up market,” said Rubie’s trade marketing manager Struan Robertson.

“From our generic range, vampires remain our most popular non-licensed costumes, closely followed by zombies; but what’s big at Halloween often ties in with movies which have captured people’s imaginations throughout the year.”

If the upcoming Ghostbusters film goes down well Rubie’s is ready for an increase in ghosts and ghostbusting costumes, while DC Comics’ Suicide Squad movie introduces fresh new looks for both The Joker and Harley Quin, already some of Rubie’s most popular Halloween characters.

Also keeping an eye on the movie market is Leg Avenue, as marketing and communications manager Joyce Mallo explained. “The new Alice in Wonderland movie, Through the Looking Glass, will influence the whole Alice trend which has already been noticeable over the past year.”

Halloween is an important time for

Leg Avenue, with costumes sales rising dramatically in the months before Halloween. Based in the Netherlands, Joyce is also well-placed to shed light on the European appetite for Halloween.

“The holiday is becoming more popular in European countries,” she said, “and is becoming more popular every year. It used to be very small, with just a few parties in the capitals, but times are changing and the holiday is spreading around the countries.”

Halloween is the sales peak of the year for Italian costume company Widmann.

“As Halloween becomes more mainstream across Europe, with an increase in children’s trick or treating and adult parties, we expect to see our Halloween stock expand exponentially,” said Sancto’s Anna Solly. “We Right: Bone-themed costumes from Folat are expected to be popular. Above left: Classic bloody handprints from Godan.

Terror talk “Halloween is undoubtedly one of the busiest and most important times of the year for fancy dress retailers. It is our busiest time of year, and crucially, gets bigger and busier year on year, both online and in store.

We review our Halloween range on an annual basis – monitoring sales of our classic lines to ensure that they are still performing well, and adding new lines that we believe to be commercially viable and that will add something different to our range.

We have added costumes to our Day of the Dead range and a selection Halloween-themed OppoSuits.”

Emma Angel, director, Angels are interested to see how our new adult and child Grim Reaper costumes are received, as Halloween 2015 saw a boost in sales to our existing lines of Grim Reapers and skeletons.”

For Polish party company Godan, Halloween market has been as important as Christmas for the last few years. “We hope that situation will continue,” said director Krzysztof Malewski, “as in Poland, there is an ongoing dispute between the conservative

approach (big church influence) and the part of society which is more open.”

Perhaps because of this tricky position, the most popular products in Poland are from a more ‘traditional’ Halloween collection, with classic lines such as fangs, spider webs, hats and masks doing well.

“Every year we introduce new products to our offer,” explained Krzysztof, “without mass sell. This year we are focusing on lines like printed latex balloons, spiders and blood hand prints – we will see!”

German company Maskworld.com is seeing a more positive pattern. “Halloween is definitely a growing maket for us,” stated press officer Anett van Buer. “In Germany, Halloween is like the opposite of Carnival.

It is darker, gory and scary. But the number of parties and events is increasing as more people celebrate it – so it gets more important every year.”

Special effect make-up, prosthetics and masks are classic horror products, and Maskworld.com’s highly realistic products are perfect for helping people come up with new characters and reinvent themselves. Halloween top sellers include latex prosthetics, fake wounds and special FX products such as bloody scabs and horror skin.

Dutch company Boland is also seeing a move away from costumes to accessories, especially among adults. “The adult consumer is getting more adventurous in what they wear and often wants to ‘Halloweenise’ themselves, using accessories and make-up,” stated UK agent Mark Brett. “We launched a 2016 Halloween catalogue in February and a further 120 new products in April, it’s an increasingly important market for us.”

This year, Halloween 2016 falls on a Monday, giving independent retailers the whole weekend to capitalise on sales. A word of warning though; this also means there will be no opportunity to replenish if sales are as good as we hope. Do not leave any (tomb)stone unturned preparing for what looks like it could be a very profitable Halloween indeed.

Right: The circus is as terrifying as ever, as this Bristol Novelty clown proves.

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Halloween 2016

HAlloween Horrors

Amscan’s diverse new face paint collection complements the range of Halloween costumes and accessories.

Overhead masks from Boland are likely to be a popular choice.

Sugar Skull toppers, from Creative Party, are a great addition for a spooky party.

This freakshow clown suit and wig

by Amscan is a new addition to the Creepy Carnevil range.

These wall clings from Bristol Novelty (Forum Party) are a fabulous instant décor option.

Delights Direct will have an extensive range of decorations for 2016, including this popular pack of five tombstones.

Creepy schoolgirl has always been a popular Halloween line for Bristol Novelty.

This cute pumpkin foil balloon by Anagram is right on trend and perfect for family parties.

Horror zone partyware from Folat makes for a very gory Halloween feast!

This skull-lined Day of The Dead cape from Bristol Novelty is a nice touch for both men and women.

It won’t just be the crows who are scared with this kids’ costume from Folat.

Amscan has added this vibrant new piñata and sign to its Day of the Dead collection.

These photorealistic t-shirts from Boland are a great way to get involved.

The Horror Clown collection from Bristol Novelty is new for 2016.

A horror-themed hospital collection from Folat includes various props and costumes.

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Halloween 2016

HAlloween Horrors Night King Mask: A Game of Thrones licensed mask from Palmer Agencies – winter is coming.

A classic vampire costume from Folat keeps it simple.

InCharacter’s adult costumes range from the sexy Vampira to the gruesome GOREmet Chef!

Rocking Mouldy Mommy from Palmer Agencies – an unnerving life-sized mains-operated animated figure with lights and sound.

Just one of Fun Shack’s new expanded children’s Halloween range for 2016.

I.T.I. (UK) has added a 3m Halloween DIY balloon arch kit to its range, which includes a scary balloon spider.

Evil Clown adult costume from Palmer Agencies includes colourful jumpsuit, collar, mask, hat and hair.

This blood red bride is a new line for this Halloween from Fun Shack.

Character make-up kits from Maskworld combine make-up and contact lenses with other special effects.

A complete range of Halloween product from Henbrandt includes decor, partyware and costumes for both adults and children.

These printed Halloween balloons are a key focus for Godan.

Cute as a pumpkin! Literally, in the case of this child’s costume from Godan.

Available in both adult and child is the Cemetery Bride, from Palmer Agencies.

These dark fairy-tale style costumes from Leg Avenue are a popular theme.

This hand-made elegant vampire costume from Orion Costumes is perfect for the European market.

Halloween wigs from Pam’s include clowns, vampires, witches and more.

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Halloween 2016

HAlloween Horrors

This character from Pam’s comes from the online Creepypasta story phenomeon and is expected to be a big Halloween hit.

Unique Party has stayed on-trend with its new styles for 2016, reflecting the ever-growing popularity of Day of the Dead.

Pioneer predicts the Day of The Dead to be a big decor trend, with a new 38” Day of the Dead Skull Microfoil and latex balloons.

This spookily fun Jester costume for men and women from Rubie’s is great for a couples’ Halloween night out.

Widmann expects its new Grim Reaper costumes for adults and children to be popular for 2016.

Premier Decorations has a catalogue of new Halloween product for 2016, with everything from décor and lights to tableware and accessories.

A range of period costumes with a fun, ghoulish twist on Downton Abbey called ‘Tombstone Abbey’, from Rubie’s.

Halloween styles from OppoSuits include two new entries; Black-O Jack-O and Haunting Hombre. Ideal for maintaining a sense of style at a Halloween party.

Anticipating Dia De Los Muertos to be even bigger and better than last year, Widmann has expanded its range.

This spectacular new Day Of The Dead Senorita dress from Rubie’s is expected to prove popular.

For something a little traditional, Rasta Imposta’s popular Pumpkin is a charming cutout suit with a matching stalk-hat.

A new Halloween collection from Thetru includes new creepy costumes, masks and props.

Rubie’s is expanding into the Halloween cosmetics market with a huge new range of glow-in-the-dark make up and face paint in various colours.

Tinsley Transfers and Tinsley Tattoos continue to be very popular, with both ranges expected to do well for 2016.

A range of new Halloween balloons include the 40” Eat Drink and Be Scary and 18” Halloween Scary Drink Microfoils from Pioneer.

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Focus On: Period Costume

With their sweeping skirts, intricate embellishments and fancy buckles, historical costumes are a safe bet for anyone looking to make a dramatic entrance. From Medieval maids to Regency royalty PPE takes a look at the enduring popularity of historical costumes.

T

here’s a certain romance to be found dressing up as a character from a bygone era, whether it is the swinging 20s, Tudor times or even Ancient Rome. The opportunities offered for costume-related time travel are not seasonal; there is no one national celebration which brings the country together in powdered wigs and elegants fans. Instead, this sector of the fancy dress market is a cornerstone of any solid fancy dress offering, holding particular interest for themed parties, Medieval banquets and local theatre groups.

“Anything historic is always a good seller,” agreed Palmer Agencies’ marketing manager Sergio Battaner. “It may not be number one in sales, but if the products brings quality and a good price, then it will steadily sell through the year. Always.”

Because period costumes are often quite elaborate in comparison to more modern designs, quality is particularly important.

“If we do not offer something that is affordable and well designed and packaged, then we might as well not bring anything to market,” said Sergio. “Where this style is offered for hire, then independent retailers will have the upper hand and can offer great designs and options.

This is particularly key if the customer is shopping for a high-end occasion.”

As a supplier well-known for its high quality and attention to detail, it’s no surprise that the historical costume market is a popular part of Leg Avenue’s portfolio.

“We see that period costumes, wigs and accessories have always been a big hit in the fancy dress market,” said Joyce Below: Popular Medieval lines from Palmer Agencies include this Dark Adder costume and child’s Juliet dress.

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Step Back Mallo, marketing. “Adults love to look back to that special time, it’s nostalgic and fun. Because it is a realistic theme, dressing-up is made more accessible and easy and we have seen interest in era-themed parties rising as well.”

An example of Leg Avenue’s attention to detail are the two Marie Antoinette costumes, which are new to the collection for 2016. “We add a number of new historic lines every year,” said Joyce, “and these are outstanding, they’re just candy for the eye! We’re also adding a selection of costumes inspired by the popular Charleston era.”

The importance of quality and strong design cannot be overstated, as Amscan’s marketing executive Charlotte Cox points out. “We are often complemented on the quality of our costumes and believe that having on-trend designs is key.”

Amscan also advises retailers to remember to provide wearable accessories for consumers who may not want a full costume or looking to complete an outfit. “We’re noticing popularity for costume accessories from previous decades and historical eras,” explained Charlotte, “in particular Roman-themed items as well as ancient gods and goddesses.

We have added new items across several key themes

Horrible History A wide range of period costumes are ideal for children, especially those which reflect the national curriculum, such as Elizabethan, Tudors, Greeks, Egyptians, Victorians and Romans.

“Our authentic historical costume range has been added to each year in line with subjects covered by the National Curriculum,” said Harrison Palmer, sales and marketing director at Pretend to Bee. “We pride ourselves on being the costume manufacturer that parents automatically turn to when they need to dress their child up for school activities.”

Left and above: These new Marie Antionette costumes from Leg Avenue come in standard and deluxe versions.

including the 1920s, 1950s, Romans and Gods and Goddesses. ” Amscan has a number of best-sellers, but the ancient gods and goddesses collection is proving particularly popular.

“The themes are iconic, and ancient historical costumes in particular appeal to children and adults alike,” said Charlotte. “The Viking theme makes a great choice for book week.”

Helping your customers relive a bygone era is easy with Widmann, as the Italian company has numerous selections of period costume, ranging from 1920s flappers and fanciful composers all the way back to pre-civilisation as a Stone Age man or woman.

“Period dress makes up a large percentage of our day-to-day sales,” Left: Historical costumes like this Brave Crusader tunic from Amscan are popular Book Week choices. Far left: This ancient Egyptian Anubis costume from Palmer Agencies has been widely praised in the trade.

Pretend To Bee’s offering also allows children to become famous people from history including King Henry and Florence Nightingale.

“Children’s historical costumes are a popular choice, especially for World Book Day and school events,” agrees Pam’s sales manager Carl Taylor.

“The Roman Emperor and Aphrodite costumes are high up on our bestselling list, with the Tudor, Victorian and evacuee costumes for both boys and girls selling well all year round. We encourage retailers to stock of a range of costumes and also consider stocking a few from the adult range to capture the teacher market as well.”

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06/06/2016 12:29

Focus On: Period Costume

Right: A classic 40s military dress from Bristol Novelty.

Middle: Amscan has added to its collection of Roman-themed accessories with this soldier set. Far right: Leg Avenue has added four new roaring 20s flapper dresses for 2016.

explained Anna Solly, director at Sancto, Widmann’s UK distributor, “so we always ensure we maintain stock levels for our most desired lines.”

“People love to experience the grandeur of what our ancestors used to wear,” Anna continued, “so there will always be a market for these timeless items. This year has seen 18th century dukes and duchesses become highly popular, along with ancient Egyptian queens and a whole range of pirate-based costumes. Like all of our ranges we are constantly expanding our period costumes throughout the year, ensuring we keep current to consumer needs and cater to as broad a demographic as possible.”

According to the team at Orion Costumes, costumes with a theme of royal history continue to enjoy year-on

year-growth. A classic interpretation of Queen Victoria continues to be a popular costume for the costme company’s portfolio, while the newlyintroduced King Henry VIII costume is out-performing sales expectations.

“Authenticity is key when developing period costumes,” explains Orion’s production manager

Prime Period “Period costumes are certainly back in vogue and enjoying a renaissance with customers looking for a more bespoke costume or accessories for specific events. With more prominent events like Glorious Goodwood and Asylum Steam Punk Festival becoming very popular period-themed events, the demand for quality and unique lines increases.”

Gary Vincent, business development manager, Bristol Novelty

Abigail Buckle, “especially the style and fit, so the cost is likely to increase because of the detail. We have found customers will pay to look the part in a convincing and original quality costume.”

A strong focus on 1940s fashion and uniforms has also prevailed for Orion this year. “Second World War themes tend to be popular at British events so we have developed a new range, coming this month,” added sales manager Teri Chovanova.

“We expect it to be one of our top sellers in this category this summer.”

It’s clear then, that authenticity and quality are key for period costumes, whether they are destined for an elaborate masked ball, a battlefield recreation or the bright lights of amateur theatre productions. And with suppliers releasing new lines every year, there’s no excuse for not having the most up-to-date historical costumes available.

Above right: This Robin Hoody is just one of a selection of new costumes from Amscan.

PERIOD COSTUMES Pam’s stocks a large range of historical costumes ideal for all school events and productions.

Historical costumes have always been popular for Fun Shack, such as this Victorian Man and Woman.

Queen Victoria and King Henry VIII costumes from Orion Costumes.

High quality Viking costumes from Pretend To Bee for both boys and girls look extremely authentic.

Widmann’s newest lines include this Velvet Viking, which is selling well.

Top-selling 1940s military dress and fighter pilot costume from Orion Costumes.

A high end child’s Spanish Princess costume from Thetru.

Fun Shack has recently added costumes such this Georgian Gent and Lady, which are proving popular.

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Focus On: Children’s Parties Inset: Themes don’t have to match exactly – coodinating colours allows parents to get creative.

Heart Young At

Whether the star of the show is having party games at home or taking over the local soft play centre; one thing’s for sure – a visit to the local party retailer is likely. PPE takes an overview of the children’s birthday party market in 2016.

T

he cost of children’s birthday parties is something which crops up frequently in the lifestyle pages of the national press; often bolstered by a survey sponsored by a financial loan company and full of helpful cost-cutting suggestions. The average cost of throwing a kids party has been estimated as anything between £100 to £300 – not an insignificant amount of money either way.

It’s not unreasonable to expect the party industry to be able to secure a sizable chunk of this budget; although the children’s birthday party market is a competitive one, and money spent on a fancy venue and themed entertainer is money diverted away from a party shop’s till.

Unless the party is fancy dress (hooray!), decorations, balloons, tableware and party favours are likely to make up the bulk of the parental basket. And yes, themes are important. In the children’s market, fashions and favourite characters change frequently, leaving retailers at the mercy of a six-year-old’s fickle taste in cartoons.

According to Amscan marketing executive Charlotte Cox, pirates and princesses are still top-selling themes and as such are likely to be ‘safe bets’. Happily, Amscan has updated both its ranges with

Below: Pirates (from Amscan) are a classic generic theme. Right: Creative Party’s Block Party collection features an innovative new air-filled balloon centrepiece kit as well as some must-have décor lines, such as bunting and balloons.

new styles for 2016.

Tableware and décor are typically the core elements of the ranges,” explained Charlotte. “These are then complemented with further items such as games and party favours. They are important as they set the main theme for the party.”

Charlotte also notes the demand for complete themes is growing as parents increase their spend on parties. Amscan has launched a wide variety of exciting new themes and refreshed the classic lines which remain popular. Licensing is also key to this demographic, with hot new properties including Angry Birds Movie, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Justice League and Super Mario.

Also a big player in the licensed partyware market, Gemma is launching a number of new party ranges for summer 2016, with preschool favourites In The Night Garden and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom joining the existing Shopkins, Peppa, Hello Kitty and Mario Kart collections.

“There is still demand for themed tableware and our licenced product sells very well,” said Gemma’s Louise Ellison. “We like to keep our finger on the pulse, and work closely with major players in the toy industry to find out what’s selling well for them in terms of

Décor Detail “We are seeing real trend push for décor items over traditional tableware, and décor is playing a huge role in the children’s market. It is dominated by licensed themes but generic themes have a longer life cycle and allow retailers to target niche customers looking for something different.”

Holly Forder, Creative Party Left: Even big kids will love a trip to the circus with this colourful Qualatex collection from Pioneer.

character product. We generally find that this filters through to party sales.”

Shopkins is currently a best-seller for Gemma, and has been going from strengthto-strength as the collectible phenomenon gains popularity, selling well with grocers and independent buyers alike. A good mix of generic themes and licensed characters provides choice for all tastes and interests, and allows for budget-conscious parents to pair licensed product with coordinating colours to make a mix-and-match ensemble.

According to Krzysztof Malewski, director of Polish party company Godan (which distributes Procos tableware), mixing styles like this is becoming increasingly commonplace, with key licenses, such as Frozen or Star Wars being paired with plainer collections.

“There is a massive increase of interest in the birthday area,” said Krzysztof, “it’s taken over from weddings now and is the most important celebration for our business. We advise retailers to sell complementary products from tableware and party collections. It is good to offer accessories and other extras which match the overall theme of the party.”

Speaking to Carl Taylor, sales director at Pam’s, this growth is also mirrored in the UK. “The children’s birthday party market is bigger than ever,” he said. “Younger children in particular still like to have completely themed parties, so we carry party supplies, decorations and fancy dress to fulfil all children’s party needs.”

There’s certainly no denying the power of the theme, and the wide range of licensed and generic ranges available indicate that children’s parties will continue to be an important part of the party market for many years to come.

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Focus On: Children’s Parties

CHILDREN’S PARTIES Little fans will love Amscan’s new Angry Birds Movie party range featuring tableware, party bags, favours cups and a letter banner.

A fun range of party tableware, this Mad Hatter Tea Party range includes cups, plates and other essentials, from Unique Party.

One of two new preschool launches for 2016, this In The Night Garden collection from Gemma is expected to do well.

Kids can find their inner ninja with this actionpacked new party theme by Amscan, coordinating costumes and accessories are also available.

Originally sourced for the release of the Avengers film, Age of Ultron, this classic superhero range of party supplies from Pam’s can also be used for the upcoming release of the new Avengers film and the Captain America film for 2016.

This Hello Kitty range from Gemma is a perennial favourite, as it has wide appeal and is perfect for fans of all ages.

This new birthday balloon by Anagram is perfect for those with a sweet tooth!

Available from Amscan.

These circus-themed balloons from Qualatex are perfect for any age group and are ideal for both boys and girls looking for some big top action.

The force is strong with this dramatic Star Wars partyware collection from Godan.

No child’s party is complete without essentials like party hats and all-important loot bags, like these from Henbrandt.

A children’s party is nothing without classic party balloons, like this colourful selection from Godan.

This brand new Mermaid Friends range from Creative Party fills the gap in the children’s birthday market for a generic mermaid theme range.

Parents can decorate in style with these fabulous, brightly coloured balloon bunches and Happy Birthday flag bannerfrom I.T.I. (UK).

It’s all about the theme! The camoflague party range from Unique Party is a long-time favourite of many customers.

Science parties are a growing in popularity and retailers can capitalise on this new trend with this funky range of partyware from Delights Direct.

This range of Paw Patrol tableware items are now in stock and ready to ship from the BBS UK warehouse.

The PP items in this range are microwave friendly and come with a placemat and sports drink bottle.

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Best sellers CAT E G O R Y

Adult Costumes

Susie Patten/ Ipswich

M A N UFACTURE RS / RANGES

COMMENT

1920s lines for both men and women from Smiffy’s

A huge hit in our adults category is the 1920s.

Women love the Charleston, Gatsby and Flapper dresses which always sell well.

Kids Costumes

Historical kids costumes from Fun Shack

A general rule of thumb, if it can be linked to the school curriculum, it will sell well in our shop!

Victorians, Tudors, Romans, Egyptians and WW2 evacuees are all very popular.

Party Accessories

Mexicans, cowboys and Hawaiians, from Smiffy’s

We stock a great range of bushy gringo moustaches, sombreros, cowboy hats, chaps and guns to keep everyone happy.

Added Extras

Classic hen and stag products from Alandra

Hen nights are really popular with us at the moment and so the usual delights of boppers and sashes are selling well for the ladies.

Anything Else?

“

Neon and UV lines from Paint Glow

Costume, accessory and party centre in Ipswich town centre.

Smiffy’s

Alandra

A glow-in-the-dark midnight charity walk for a hospice involved thousands of local people which boosted sales for anything neon or UV.

Solid favourites for summer dress-up will always be Mexicans, cowboys and Hawaiians. We can’t compete with larger shops for Hawaiian shirts, but if people want accessories like garlands, beach hats, grass skirts, glasses and hair clips, they will definitely come to us!

The Ultimate Party Shop CAT E G O R Y

M A N UFACTURE RS/RANGES

Caroline Stevens/ Cheltenham

Fancy dress and party shop, with two branches in Cheltenham and Worcester.

COMMENT

Adult Costumes

Star Wars lines from Rubie’s

Star Wars is very sought after: the popularity of the Kylo Ren outfits proves that deep down, we still all love a bad guy. Ladies’ Storm Trooper and Darth Vader outfits have also been going down well, as has Rey.

Kids Costumes

Roald Dahl collection from Smiffy’s

Roald Dahl’s whole range often dominates the kids range, with Ms Trunchbull from Matilda alongside more loveable characters like the Oompa Loompas.

Rubie’s

Accessories

Summer party lines from Smiffy’s

Coming up to summer and festival season plenty of people have started stocking up on hula skirts, Hawaiian shirts, ponchos and Mexican-themed outfits.

Alandra

Balloons

Licensed foils from Amscan

Branded balloons sales are still on the up, with anything Star Wars, Marvel or Avengers themed all selling well. Big foil numbers of any age range are always popular.

Added Extras

Hen party classics from Alandra

Hen party season has seen loads of sales of anything in that department; décor, boppers, sashes, badges and of course, veils.

Anything Else?

Union Jack and Royal family from Mask-arade, Bristol Novelty

Union Jacks have been selling well in any form, from hats and bunting to flags and glasses.

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The Queen’s 90th birthday has had all manners of royal stock flying off the shelves; the masks have been a big hit, as well as crowns and tiaras of course.

“

“

“

Fancy Dress Hut

As retailers head into the second half of 2016, PPE finds out what has kept the tills ringing over the last few weeks.

Mask-arade

MAY/JUNE 2016

06/06/2016 12:39

Best sellers M A N UFACTURE RS / RANGES

COMMENT

Kids Costumes

Pirates of all types, from Amscan, Christy’s

Pirates, pirates, pirates! Girls or boys, it doesn’t matter, everyone wants to be a pirate. Our outfits, inflatable parrots and eye patches keep a lot of our customers happy.

Balloons

Deco Bubbles from Qualatex

These clear plastic balloons are incredible, they can be personalised or filled with so many great things including confetti, feathers and even baby balloons.

Accessories

Kids’ partyware from Unique Party, Qualatex

Kids party accessories are doing well; all sorts of themed tableware, it seems the more retro the better. Super Mario and Star Wars are the firm favourites

Added Extras

Hen, stag and baby shower accessories and games from Bristol Novelty, Alandra

Alandra does a brilliant range of really popular games, the chocolate-in-nappy one in particular is really popular for baby showers!

Anything Else?

Union Jack products from Amscan

The Queen’s 90th saw lots of Union Jack merchandise selling well; the usual flags, boppers and big hairband bows.

“ Prepare2Party

A family-run business based in Hertford and Welwyn Garden City, Messages has been supplying party products since 1984.

Amscan

Qualatex

Our ever-increasing selfie culture means that people love anything to do with photo booth dress-up.

Silly glasses and wigs, moustaches; you name it, people wear it, no matter how old they are

CAT E G O R Y

Kristy Anne Martin/ Glasgow

M A N UFACTURE RS/RANGES

Adult Decorations

A family-run business, founded in 2005 by sisters Kirsty Anne and Fiona.

COMMENT

Gold décor from Unique Party, Creative Party

Gold is so on trend right now for adult party decorations. We have plenty of elegant themes which are either plain gold or gold and white polka dot. Themed collections are selling really well together.

Kids Decorations

Shaped balloons and Bubbles from Amscan, Qualatex

The range of Amscan shaped balloons featuring the various superheroes are all selling really well. Qualatex does a range of Bubble balloons which are really popular with kids parties as well.

Balloons

Qualatex, Amscan, Creative Party, Unique Party, Oaktree

Large letter foil balloons are really hot right now.

Especially when hen parties can spell out ‘HEN’ with gold foil balloons – perfect for taking selfies with the bride-to-be! More people are reaching diamond wedding anniversaries, often buying our silver and white balloon ranges.

Accessories

Bunting and banners from Unique Party

It seems bunting will never go out of fashion – at the moment people are loving the candy pink stripes and polka dot flag bunting. This sells really well for weddings, kids birthdays, hen nights and baby showers.

Anything Else?

Baby shower ranges from Creative Party, Amscan, Unique Party

The newest ‘Noahs Ark’ range by Creative Party is our best seller at the moment as it has a great mix of multi-coloured plates cups and napkins so its perfect for those who want to avoid the typical blues and pinks.

“

Unique Party

Creative Party

Balloons remain our biggest seller in the shop as people want them for so many different kinds of celebrations. Birthdays are still the main driver but also events like christenings and anniversaries.

“

CAT E G O R Y

Claire Ridley/ Welwyn Garden City

“

Messages Party Shop

MAY/JUNE 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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