Firework sales heat up in Kansas City as Independence Day nears

By Sharon Chen

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    RIVERSIDE, Missouri (KCTV) — One week away from the Independence Day holiday and sales are sizzling at Fireworks stores around the metro.

“We’ve got some artillery shells, a lot of rockets,” said Lenin Sanchez.

Lenin and the family just stocked up and they’re ready to kick off the Fourth with a big bang.

“I’m excited for fireworks and to see my family,” said 8-year-old Zoe.

The Sanchez’s are not alone. Business is booming at Mike’s Fireworks in Riverside.

“Fourth of July is definitely our biggest season,” said Hailey Bjelobrk, Owner.

For decades, the store has been a regional staple for fireworks.

“We get customers from Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas a lot of different states,” said Hailey. “People have been coming here for over 50 years and traveling pretty long distances to do so.”

While you can buy fireworks year-round at Mike’s Fireworks, that’s not always the case.

In Missouri, you can buy fireworks at seasonal retailers from June 20th to July 6th. The state does allow for year-round sales. Next door in Kansas, sales are limited from June 27th to July 6, but lawmakers are looking to expand the time frame to begin on June 15th. There is also a push to allow for year-round sales.

Sales always sizzling at Mike’s except for last year.

“There was a lot of uncertainty with the pandemic I believe we weren’t open then but, we’re back up to full speed,” said Hailey.

Hailey said with the supply chain crisis, stock is running at about 70% now, but it’s expected to be up to 100% by July 4th.

“Prices have probably increased 20 to 30 percent just purely due to the big container costs from overseas,” said Hailey.

Despite the higher prices, sales are already popping.

“Everyone comes in they’re really happy they’re really excited everyone has a smile on their face you can tell they’re ready to celebrate the 4th,” said Hailey.

“It’s probably one of our favorites besides Christmas and Halloween,” said Lenin.

Hailey advises consumers to plan ahead when purchasing fireworks.

“If you don’t like lines or crowds, don’t wait till the last minute. The closer we get to the 4th, the busier it gets. There’s no benefit of waiting, prices won’t drop,” said Hailey.

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