Pinterest and Instagram are a haven for a few things: gorgeous landscapes, uplifting quotes, and FOMO-inducing pictures of people at parties. Each of these show people grinning from ear to ear, laughing heartily, or staring confidently into the camera. They’re surrounded by foods and drinks, and accessories to complement the decor and add to the fun.
There are some staples, like numbered balloons and photo booth props, but in order to stay fresh there’s always a new element to the setting as well. These are the trends starting to dominate social media that customers will be looking for.
As a party supply seller, you need to know what your customers are looking for. With that in mind, here are some current and upcoming party trends.
Polaroid cameras and portable printers
Taylor Swift’s 1989 era had her, as she puts it, “feeling so Gatsby for that whole year”. There wasn’t a week she wasn’t either attending or throwing a celebrity-packed soiree, and the evidence was plastered across social media in the form of pictures of her intimate polaroids. Ed Sheeran in a red coat with her in blue on the Fourth of July; Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z all packed in together in front of a wall in Swift’s New York City apartment. Everything documented in artfully arranged pictures, all taken with an instant camera.
Make that vintage yet fresh vibe available for all of your clients by carrying instant cameras and film, or for the minimalist who doesn’t want to carry an extra accessory, a portable printer that hooks directly to their phone. While you’re at it, maybe stock a few mini-photo albums as well.
Confetti
Any 90’s kid is going to remember the rash of music videos that had confetti streaming everywhere. Christina Aguilera’s “Come On Over” had specific confetti flown in from another country just to make the end of her then newly sexy makeover really stand out. Mothers use it to bring extra sparkle to tables at birthday and graduation parties, but where’s the spectacle?
For extra fun and thrill for your clients, keep hand-held confetti cannons in stock. They’ll add to the grandeur on New Year’s Eve, tell the entire world what gender a new baby will be, and make any party something to remember.
Personalized… anything
Etsy is filled to the brim with vendors selling t-shirts for bachelorette parties, beer koozies for birthdays, and sweet signs for kids to hold up on their first day of school. While your shop may not be able to do the customization yourselves, giving your customers a choice of accessories they can DIY themselves gives them more of a choice when decorating.
Signs for weddings are popular, and it’s easy to leave spaces for the new couples name or names for the artistically inclined to fill in. As more and more bachelor and bachelorette parties turn into multi-day, out-of-state vacations, the demand grows for iron-ons for clothing, proclaiming “bride tribe” and the like. Or you can offer small press on rhinestone “tattoos” for either skin or clothing.
If your client is throwing an end of the season get together for their child’s sports team, offer a way to incorporate that sport into their decor. Some potential ideas could be napkins with soccer balls and the team’s name, or a large bowling pin the whole team can sign and give to the MVP.
As social media grows and the demand for greater and more beautiful parties grows, be sure to keep up with the newest ideas so that your shop can give your clients the most up-to-date and fun experience.