POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — What a difference a year makes.
A year ago, Big Grin Fireworks was fighting to stay in business. With a trade war between the U.S. and China raging.
More than 90% of all recreational fireworks sold in the U.S. come from China, but owner Paul Richardson said Big Grin got almost none of its stock from overseas last year.
“At one point, the tariffs were prohibitive,” Richardson said. “They get to the point where it’s just, ‘Ok, we just won’t buy from you.’”
2026 is a different story. Richardson said Big Grin’s sales are ahead of 2025, driven in part by the nation’s 250th birthday. But Richardson said summer weather has influenced where customers are making their purchases.
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“This year is a mixed bag,” he said. “Because if you’re inside the air-conditioned stores, the sales are way up. If you’re out in a heated parking lot and it’s 96 degrees, you can imagine that people are thinking, ‘Oh, I can buy that later.’”
July 3 and 4 are the two busiest days for fireworks sales each year. Another driver for the increase in sales has been the weather. Richardson said people pay attention to how dry the weather is. He believes the amount of rain that’s pelted metro Atlanta this summer has left shoppers with no reservations about purchasing fireworks.
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