Fireworks are more expensive, but orders are high: seller happy after two years of no business

It takes some getting used to, Dekker immediately acknowledges. “What we all need to do to make sure things run smoothly these last three days.” A few things have also changed compared to the last time, at the end of 2019.

Partial fireworks ban

Due to a partial fireworks ban, for example, no more bang fireworks and flares can be sold. “Purchasing is complicated, also because there are two years in between. Normally you base your purchases on orders from the previous year. But if you make sure you have enough, it should work out.”

The past two years have been difficult. No sales, but fixed costs continued. Especially last year, when a fireworks ban was imposed at the very last minute. That hurt. “That was really too late. Especially if you have to throw things away, that’s annoying,” says the resident of Nieuwe Niedorp.

Fireworks more expensive

As with many other products, fireworks cannot escape a price increase. “It came this way with very expensive containers. And that is reflected in the purchase price, but also in the sales price,” says the fireworks seller.

How much more expensive? “Smaller cakes (fireworks with multiple shots) will be a tenner more expensive, the larger ones thirty. But if people have put something in a jar every week or month, they have been able to save for almost three years,” says Dekker with a laugh.

And judging by the presale, fireworks enthusiasts take the price increase for granted. So reported RTL News that the number of orders was 30 to 40 percent higher than in 2019.

But no matter how well it goes with orders. There is also a large group that prefers a complete fireworks ban today rather than tomorrow. Research by the NH News panel showed that almost two thirds of the participants are in favor of such a ban.

Tackling illegal fireworks: ‘they are bombs’

Dekker disagrees. According to him, the big problem is not the fireworks he sells, but illegal fireworks. “People are complaining about the explosions that you already hear. But we are no longer allowed to sell explosions. Those illegal fireworks are much too heavy, they are just bombs,” Dekker explains.

According to the fireworks seller, the real solution is therefore to tackle illegal fireworks. “I can’t do anything about illegal fireworks. We don’t sell them. The government has to do something about that. But the solution is not to let it arrive in the Netherlands. But on the other hand, that is also a problem. Because it it’s hard to resist.”

Fireworks can already be purchased, but can only be picked up on December 29, 30 and 31. Shooting is only allowed between December 31, 6 p.m. and January 1, 2 a.m. Except in the municipalities of Amsterdam, Bloemendaal, Haarlem and Heemstede. Those municipalities have introduced a general ban on fireworks.