Fireworks are sold one box at a time in Nieuw-Weerdinge. It was pleasantly busy on the second day of the fireworks sale this year. “We are having a great year,” confirms Davey Prins of Van der Veen Vuurwerk. When I look at sales, we are 25 percent ahead of other years. We had long lines all day on Saturday.”
Several stores in Drenthe report at least the same figures as last year, with some outliers. For example, things are going ‘about the same as last year’ in the Vuurwerk Mania Ruinen department. “We’re not complaining.” Things are also going well at the fireworks bunker in Klazienaveen. “It’s going better than last year. The compound blocks in particular are running well. You light these and then rockets shoot out for minutes.”
Why sales are on the rise is anyone’s guess, but several mention border controls. If consumers buy fireworks in Germany, they must comply with Dutch rules. If a piece of fireworks does not fall under this category, the entire load will be confiscated. Davey Prins has already had several people at the counter in Nieuw-Weerdinge who were allowed to hand in everything. “You now notice that it is a huge risk to order from Germany. I have many people here who go to Germany and where the fireworks are then taken away at a border control. They then get fireworks again in the Netherlands.”
As far as Vuurwerk Mania in Ruinen is concerned, there could be more border controls. “Because that is unfair competition. When you see what we have to meet and that it is just there in the supermarket. Ours is of better quality, but the wallet still makes the difference.”