Firework prices increase amid national inflation

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – “We found that from China the shipments came in a lot more expensive this year,” said Tim Bachtle, a fireworks owner.

Bachtle and his family are owners of Vapor of Smoke Fireworks.

The family has three fireworks tents outside the Crossroads, 37th street, and Circle Drive Hy-Vee’s in Rochester.

“We love selling fireworks because of the relationship we’ve built over 20 years,” Bachtle said.

He said the wholesale shipments cost increase is impacting his business.

“A container used to cost $28,000 dollars to ship over from China and now that same container this year is $68,000,” Bachtle said.

That’s a $40,000 increase, and it also impacts consumers.

“For the wholesalers, we’re seeing like a 30 percent increase in cost but we’ve only marked up about 10 percent for our customers,” Bachtle said.

He said a 10 percent increase is as far as he’ll go.

“We’re here to serve people and I know they have a hard time with finances sometimes. Fireworks is like a birthday, once a year,” Bachtle said. “We’re satisfied with the profits we make. We don’t want to gouge the consumer.”

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