This message is a revision of an earlier post and is directed to USA partners only. The new balloons that were to be available on June 15th will nowbe available on July 1st instead. An additional balloon has been discontinued and a new replacement is posted here.

When manufacturers discontinue balloons, we usually get the news with little warning, and it means we need to scramble to change catalog illustrations and get the word out to our partners. Four balloons in our system were recently discontinued. Let the scrambling begin!

The illustration below shows the discontinued balloons and new balloons that will be available to customers on July 1, 2008.

All USA partners are expected to stock these new items as required inventory. To clarify, all three of the Number One First Birthday designs should be stocked.

The First Birthday section was most affected by this latest change. You can now view the revised bouquets which will be offered in the First Birthday section. On July 1st the bouquets in the 200 series will be replaced with those in the 300 series.

On Friday, May 30, the California Senate passed the ban on foil balloons. Enactment of the ban will become effective in January 2010 if the bill passes in the California Assembly. If you sell balloons in California, it is time to put more muscle in your hustle. Communicate with your Assembly representative now!

There isn’t a week that goes by that our dispatchers in Seattle are not hammered with calls from distressed customers wondering when their orders are going to be delivered. I’m not referring to cases where a late delivery time has been requested, or when a delivery to a residence has been delayed because no one is home. I’m referring to deliveries to business locations where a broad delivery time was provided and our partners have waited until the last possible hour to complete the delivery.

Many customers send balloons to friends in offices so that co-workers can be part of the “I got ballooned” experience. It makes for a great marketing opportunity for us — the more attention a balloon delivery receives, the more future business it generates. If a delivery is made at the end of the day, the “show” is usually short-lived. You may have gotten it there before the deadline, but by waiting until the last minute you may have created more ill will than good.

Each delivery provides us with the opportunity to create a satisfied customer and attract new ones. We can capitalize on this opportunity by getting BP orders delivered as early in the day as possible.

Applies Only to USA Partners

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 16 and the balloon bouquets for this occasion are posted on the web site. Many customers will be placing orders for delivery during the week prior to June 16. Even if you plan not to offer service on this date, be sure to stock the specialty balloons shown below for orders that will be scheduled early.