Pandemic 'hangover' could lead to shortage of backyard fireworks

Business was booming for the consumer fireworks industry ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, but a shortage of product could be looming.

Impacts from the covid-19 pandemic are causing consumer fireworks companies across the country to receive about 70% of the inventory they ordered, according to Bruce Zoldan, CEO of Youngstown, Ohio-based Phantom Fireworks. But demand, which spiked in 2020 after several professional shows were canceled, has remained high.

“We are obviously concerned about not having fireworks,” Zoldan said. “The last thing a turkey farmer would want is to not have turkeys available for Thanksgiving, or pumpkins for Halloween. We want to have fireworks for the Fourth of July, and we’re concerned because there have been major obstacles in being able to get the inventory.”

According to Zoldan, most consumer companies sold out of fireworks in 2020, meaning excess inventory did not carry over into this year.

“Everything was dependent on what they got in this year,” he said.

With the global transportation system reeling from the effects of a “yearlong covid hangover,” restocking their supplies has proved difficult, according to Steve Houser, president of the National Fireworks Association. The pandemic caused breakdowns and tie-ups in the system, Houser said, leading to ports in China and America becoming congested.

A global shipping container shortage also makes it more expensive to transport products from China, including items such as fireworks, which are classified as dangerous goods, Business Insider reported. That led to higher markups on fireworks this year.

For local fireworks retailers, transportation impacts were not yet reflected in the amount of product displayed on their shelves in the weeks leading up to the holiday. Impacts were noticeable, however, at warehouses, where smaller inventories were stockpiled this year compared to previous years.

“Right now, our company, and I’m sure most others, have full inventories but not the backup, not the warehousing inventories they would want to have to secure that the shelves would be full on the last four days,” Zoldan said.

Phantom Fireworks has store locations across the country, including in Hempfield and Monroeville. At the Hempfield location early last week, CFO Jason Lapina said product was expected to start running low in some categories by the end of the week.

Chrissy Countryman, a manager at Wholesale Fireworks in North Huntingdon, echoed similar sentiments.

“We are definitely starting to sell out of some of the more high-demand products, but we are still getting shipments,” Countryman said. “There is definitely a shortage.”

For Keystone Fireworks — a Lancaster-based company that operates tents in 10 states, including a location in Hempfield outside Westmoreland Mall — managing director Jack May said some of their last shipments came in this week. Normally, final shipments would arrive at the beginning of June.

Because the company received its final shipments in the week before the Fourth of July holiday, May is not expecting to be impacted by the shortage.

“We’re fortunate to have a good relationship with manufacturers in China, so that has helped us in terms of getting everything that we ordered,” May said.

May added demand at Keystone Fireworks locations has been strong. “I’m not sure if it’s quite the same as last year, but it’s pretty close.”

At the Keystone Fireworks location in Allegheny Township, shopper Jennifer Gee was checking out the fireworks selection Friday morning. Gee, of Allegheny Township, brought her 14-year-old son Calder along to purchase numerous fireworks that will contribute to an annual family fireworks event at a home in Parks Township.

“We don’t go to watch fireworks, we do our own,” Jennifer Gee said, adding that she was buying more this year than she normally does.

The Gees stocked up on fountain-style fireworks and said their purchases will be combined with other family members’ inventory. Combined, she said, family members spend hundreds of dollars on fireworks annually.

Not everyone is going bigger with their fireworks plans this year.

Austin Rupert, 19, also shopping Friday at the Allegheny Township location, said he was trying to trim his fireworks budget this year. Rupert, who bought giant sparklers, said he planned to spend about $50 this year.

“I’m wasting money for 5 minutes of fun,” Rupert said.

TNT Fireworks, which operates several tents across the region, including in Kittanning, North Versailles and Mt. Pleasant, also reported high demand this year.

“Backyard fireworks are a Fourth of July tradition — and consumer fireworks are in high demand,” Sherri Simmons, spokeswoman for TNT Fireworks, said in a statement. “There is more excitement than ever this year as we can once again celebrate together.”

At the Hempfield Phantom Fireworks store, Lapina said he continues to see new faces as people become interested in consumer fireworks.

“A lot of people haven’t been mentioning the bigger shows,” Lapina said. “A lot of people have been talking about doing their own thing in the backyard.”

Staff writer Joyce Hanz contributed.