CARROLLWOOD — Charlie and Lisa Williams are in party city.
And, to be sure, it will be decorated with many, many, many colorful balloons.
This longtime Town ‘N’ Country couple have been filling up orders for their decorative balloon display business — Balloonies — for 32 years, but doing so out of their home. They’ve done small projects and displays for people’s parties and homecomings/proms at Gaither and Sickles to massive ones, like filling Raymond James Stadium with 10,000 balloons or decorating large events at Hard Rock Casino. They have even decorated the Gasparilla Distance Classic finish line for more than 10 years.
But in all that time and through all those balloons, the Williamses never thought to — or even cared for — getting a storefront. As they put it bluntly, there was no reason to. The business was always blowing up, the bills were paid and they were content to be a pioneering work-from-home business.
Then, in December, came news that shocked even Charlie and Lisa.
Party City, with about 850 stores nationwide and in business for 40 years, announced it was closing all its stores, citing “failing to overcome its financial struggles and combat inflation.”
“We just looked at each other,” Lisa said, “and a lightbulb went off!”
“We’ve been doing this so long,” Charlie added, “and we didn’t want a storefront because we couldn’t compete with it (Party City),” which buys balloon materials like ribbon in giant volumes.
All that changed when Party City announced its closures and subsequent liquidation sales. On March 7, Balloonies finally opened a storefront, located at 11775 N. Dale Mabry Highway in the Village Square East plaza.
“We were David vs. Goliath when they could buy how they would in bulk,” Lisa said. “It really was the mom/pop vs. the corporation, and every other balloon company we saw open a storefront, they didn’t succeed because they couldn’t compete.
“It really has been nothing but beneficial for us,” she said, referring to Party City’s closure. “We never thought we’d see the day (we’d have a storefront) … but it will be a good thing for us, I think, and give a kick to the bottom line.”
The Williamses moved into a former pharmacy, which gives them a surprising amount of space, but the perfect layout to construct their balloon designs. In fact, the former room meant for storage and dispensing pills turned out to be perfect for the Balloonies “assembly line,” lined with every color of balloon imaginable. It even comes with a glass window, and now a step stool, where customers (but usually kids) can watch the couple and their few employees blow up balloons.
“Just like they do at Krispy Kreme!” exclaimed Charlie.
With Party City closing, it has been extra fortuitous for Lisa and Charlie. Not only are they trying to snag a former Party City employee here and there, but because of the liquidation sales of Party City’s inventory, they are getting balloon supplies for pennies on the dollar.
“We used to buy small (ribbon bulk), like 500 yards,” Charlie added, “but we were able to get 15,000 yards, a bunch of them, from Party City for $10 a piece.”
Additionally, the Williamses’ storefront location was strategically planned. While it's in the heart of Carrollwood, it also is centrally located to fill the void of four Party City stores that closed — the Carrollwood, Citrus Park, South Tampa and Temple Terrace locations. Balloonies also delivers into neighboring counties, such as Pasco, Pinellas, Hernando, Manatee, Sarasota and even Polk.
“We won’t get every single customer,” Lisa said, “but it's still a good location to get them to come here. They’re out of business, and we’re glad to have their balloon business.”
Business won’t, nor has it ever, slowed down for the Williamses.
In fact, during the height of COVID, there were increased pandemic orders. With everyone unable to travel and staying at home, more orders came in as relatives and friends in other states would send a contactless delivery to loved ones for special occasions, i.e. birthdays, graduations, baby showers, etc.
With a storefront, the foot traffic is steady in just a month of being open (there was a soft opening prior to Valentine’s Day to get that business) and thanks to their plaza neighbors, such as Carrollwood Florist, they are swapping customers.
“(This plaza and this area), it's like a little community,” Lisa said. “It’s not even Tampa, it is its own community.”
And now, in the heart of this community, the Williamses will continue to fill (up) orders — in their very own storefront.
“We have always been able to do something different than Party City. Heck, we used to do car lots, and that was back before they realized they could sell cars without balloons,” Charlie said with a laugh.
It’s a niche that’s always evolving, but it seems that everyone wants balloons, he added.
“Where could you go? Dollar Store? Publix?” Lisa asked, “We stick to what we know. You can buy all your plates and cups and other party stuff (online), but you can’t get a personalized balloon bouquet like this. Not like what we do.
“We know balloons. And for 32 years, that’s what we’ve done.”
