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Plans are in place to make the Party Perfect™ system
available to selected high street retailers on a rental
basis. The system consists of a helium refill unit plus
small refillable cylinders (barrels).
Consumers will be able to hire the Party Perfect™
barrels from these outlets for special occasions and parties.
A barrel fills 40 standard 11" latex balloons. As retailers
pay a fixed monthly fee for the system, the profit increases
with every barrel hired.
Gill Beech, UK Heligas™ business development manager
at Air Products comments:
"We commissioned an NOP Survey to assess consumer
opinion on the use of balloons and it is clear that the
vast majority of people appreciate the impact balloons can
add to a party.
"Historically, consumers seeking helium balloons had
to purchase pre-inflated balloons or hire an oversized,
industrial cylinder not designed for domestic use, from
an industrial gas distributor. NOP research drew attention
to this with over half of us (55%) believing helium-filled
balloons only to be available from specialist retailers.
Party Perfect is set to change this by making helium more
accessible to consumers."
"With helium balloons more readily available their
popularity is set to increase, making the potential market
for this product immense. This is backed by NOP research,
which highlighted children's parties as being the most popular
occasion for balloon decoration - an incredible 88% of those
surveyed said balloons are a vital part of a child's party.
"People seeking to brighten up a room for any kind
of party will find the Party Perfect™ barrels convenient,
easy-to-use and irresistible," continues Gill Beech.
Two retail outlets in the UK have successfully trialled
the Party Perfect™ helium refill system, along with
other sites in France and the Netherlands.
Gill Beech adds: "The 12 month trial period has generated
extremely positive feedback from consumers and retailers
alike. Sales targets were set for the year, based on a significant
return on investment for the retailer, and these have been
easily reached."
For retailers and their staff, the Party Perfect™
refill system is easy to use - barrels can be refilled quickly
and simply, without the need for any previous experience
of handling gases. The refill system has a patented valve,
which identifies when the barrels are full and automatically
switches off the gas supply.
The refill system is housed in an attractive and eye-catching
shelving unit, which is brightly coloured, to complement
the Party Perfect™ barrels and takes up a minimal amount
of floor space.
Also, as the Party Perfect™ barrels are designed to
be refilled and returned to the shop after use, there are
no environmental implications with the disposal of the barrel.
"We anticipate that each Party Perfect™ barrel
will be available to the consumer on a hire basis for around
£30, enabling them to bring that extra special finishing
touch to party arrangements," concludes Gill Beech.
To find out more about the Party Perfect™
system, call Air Products on 0800 920920.
Full digital images are available online at the Air Products
press room:
http://www.airproducts.com/PhotoLibrary/restricted/photo-helium.asp
Issued by Citigate Communications on behalf of Air Products.
For further information please call Debbie Hall, Juliet
Harris, Gill Holtom or Christine Warren on 0121 456 3199
or email debbie.hall@citigatec.co.uk
.
The survey was conducted by NOP Research Group. 1002 adults
over the age of 15 years were interviewed. Fieldwork 13th
- 15th December 2002.
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