Party & Holiday Accessories Retail Industry Description

Companies that retail or rent party, holiday, and/or seasonal supplies or accessories.

Summary

Kids aren’t alone in wishing it could be Christmas or Halloween every day. Sellers of party and holiday accessories -- by definition a seasonal business -- live for The Big Three: Christmas, Halloween, and the annual rite of graduation. While Halloween is the second-largest decorating holiday (behind Christmas/Hanukkah) for party goods chains, such as market leader Party City and its smaller rival Party America, October 31 has eclipsed December 25 as the busiest time of the year. Americans spent an estimated $5.07 billion on Halloween in 2007, up from $3.3 billion in 2005, according to the National Retail Federation. While balloons, birthdays, and baby showers provide a steady revenue stream, The Big Three promise big sales. Indeed, Halloween has gotten so big that Party City has taken to opening temporary stores around the US under the Halloween Costume Warehouse banner.