ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — As Independence Day approaches, fireworks remain a staple of holiday celebrations. For some local businesses, the rising cost of importing fireworks has added financial pressure.
At Sky King Fireworks in St. Lucie County, customers like Timothy Naylor spent the morning preparing for the festivities.
WATCH: This year's sales come with additional challenges
“We’ve got a good mixture of the big stuff and the little stuff for the little guys,” Naylor said.
Store manager Nicholas Derrico explained this is the busiest season of the year.
“The Fourth of July is definitely the time we get the most foot traffic,” Derrico said.
However, this year’s sales come with additional challenges.
“One-hundred percent of our products that we sell — fireworks — are made overseas. They’re not manufactured in the U.S. They’re made in China,” Derrico said.
Derrico said tariffs have increased costs by anywhere from 30% to 150%, depending on the product. Despite the increase, he says the store has chosen not to pass the added expense onto customers.
“Revenue is going to be down, but that’s not going to stop us from doing it,” he said. “To pass that on — to minimize the amount of fireworks they’re going to get for the Fourth of July — wasn’t something we wanted to do.”
Some families shopping at Sky King said they’ve noticed the impact of higher costs.
While fireworks can be an extra expense, many families said it's a holiday tradition they aren't willing to pass on.
“It’s been harder this year than normal,” said Naylor. “This is the first year I’ve actually had to check my bank account before we came and said okay, set a limit to what you're going to spend.”
“I am not going to sacrifice my kids' experience because of that, so yeah, Fourth of July is a fun time and I want to make sure my kids have a good time," he said.
To help offset the cost for customers, the store has introduced markdowns and promotional deals.
“It’s definitely intriguing where it’s like buy one get two free,” said Seleski.
“You know, we appreciate that,” added Naylor.
Despite concerns over prices, many families are still finding ways to celebrate.
