SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The 4th of July means fireworks, and despite what you may think, many people wait until the last minute to buy their pyrotechnics.
Shelly Raderschadt is the owner and manager of Hot Shot Fireworks in Sioux Falls, a large air-conditioned fireworks shop. She says business has been crazy busy lately. “Everyone likes to wait till the end to buy their fireworks,” she said.
On the average 4th of July, Raderschadt estimates they see thousands of customers.
Raderschadt says that they haven’t had much in the way of inventory issues this year, since most of their shipments made it in on time.
Shipping, as in many other industries, has been a concern in the pyrotechnics industry of late, and in some cases that has led to higher costs.
“The actual firework price didn’t go up,” said Raderschadt, “but the shipping went up dramatically.”
This increase in business costs has resulted in price increases on some of the larger items at Hot Shot, says Raderschadt, though she told KELOLAND News that they have still made an effort to keep their family packs affordable.
People tend to splurge on fireworks, especially on the 4th of July, and Raderschadt says spending can vary widely. “Gosh, anywhere from $25 to a couple thousand dollars,” she estimated when asked what people tend to spend.
That willingness to splurge was evident from conversations with shoppers.
Rebecca and Micah Fritz were in Hot Shot, looking to scoop up some last-minute fireworks, though they had already done plenty of shopping in the days leading up to the 4th.
“Oh yeah,” said Micah when asked if they’d bought much prior to the 4th. “We buy most of our stuff early — we just get our odds and ends on the day of and just kind of come here as a tradition.”
Asked how much they’ve spent on fireworks this year, Micah estimated they were nearing about $2,500.
The Fritz’s say they’ve definitely noticed a price increase across the board this year. “Everything is definitely more expensive this year. It’s not a crazy amount, but it definitely is a little bit,” said Micah. “Like 10-20%,” chimed in Rebecca.
Micah says this increase has made him a bit more selective. “I’m definitely a lot more picky about what I want. I definitely make sure I get what I need, and not just go nuts.”
Raderschadt points out that folks in the Sioux Falls area can set off fireworks until July 10, and that they will still be selling fireworks after the holiday. In terms of the products, her favorite is the Streets of Gold. “It’s the largest golden willows that you can buy.”
