NEWS

Fireworks Sales Boom Expected in East Texas

Red River Radio | By Jeff Ferrell

Published June 28, 2024 at 3:28 PM CDT

Several East Texas fireworks business owners expect strong sales for this Fourth of July.

There’s expected to be a boom in fireworks sales in parts of East Texas. That’s the word at several fireworks locations. In Hudson, Texas, just west of Lufkin, 94 Fireworks owner Reece Maddox tells Red River Radio News that this year’s Fourth of July he expects people to spend more money on fireworks. But he adds that because the holiday falls on a weekday (Thursday, July 4) he worries that may blunt at least some of the extra revenue, compared to a weekend.

Reece Maddox (left), owner of 94 Fireworks in Hudson, Texas (just west of Lufkin, TX), pictured here with customer Pat Penn (right).

Maddox also tells us people always wait until the last minute to buy their fireworks. He estimates 70% of his sales actually happen on July 4^th. And Maddox also recently told Shaquiena Davis with KTRE News in Lufkin, “We always offer 15 percent off to our former and current military and first responders, but we are offering 10 percent the entire store through closing of July 3.”

In nearby Pollok, Texas, [just northwest of Lufkin] the owner of Black’s Discount Fireworks, Brenda Black, is forecasting strong sales this year.

In nearby Pollok, Texas, the owner of Black’s Discount Fireworks, Brenda Black, is forecasting strong sales because of likely better weather conditions compared to previous years [not as dry this year, for one]. As for the Fourth of July falling on a weekday, Black calls it a positive. She tells Red River Radio News, “With the Fourth being on Thursday this year, we believe our sales will increase 25 to 35%,” as Black explained, “Some customers will celebrate on the 4th and then return to buy more for the weekend. We also have customers who will buy for upcoming birthdays, weddings, baby reveals etc. “

A new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) highlights the hazards posed by consumer use of fireworks. CPSC is raising awareness and sharing safety tips to prevent these types of injuries and deaths over the holiday.

Earlier this week, Black also told KTRE, “I have some customers that spend upward[s] of $600, and some will come in and spend $75.”
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) 87% of consumers plan to celebrate the Fourth of July in 2024. The fireworks industry has seen an explosion of growth in the last two decades. Consider this: according to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) in 2022 alone, consumers spent $2.3 billion on fireworks, with sales of display fireworks adding another $400 million. Now compare those figures with the year 2000, when American consumers spent $407 million dollars, with display firework sales adding another $203 million.
The COVID-19 pandemic has played an outsized role in the fireworks industry, specifically consumer spending habits. The agency points to a 75% drop in fireworks sales for professional shows in 2020, while sales for home use jumped 90%.