HELIUM GAS PRICE INCREASES 2022 / 2023
Our Master Supplier ( B.O.C Gases ) have increased our supply price for helium by more than 125% since Mid 2022. The latest price increase took effect April 10th.
We are not an importer of helium balloon gas, we are a bulk buyer, like most in Australia. Helium is bascially controlled by a cartel and they set the price that Australia pays for helium, which is the same for the rest of the world. Hence we are at the mercy of the Gas importers in regard to supply and in regard to price.
Starting Mid 2023 we were hit with a 60% price increase on helium balloon gas, the reason given was that Darwin was running out of supply and B.O.C would have to buy their helium like everyone else on the world market and hence a massive price adjustment had to happen. Then later in September 2022, yet another price increase, which we were told was due to electricity price increases making the plant more than a million dollars a year more to run. Now we are hit with a 40% increase in April 2023, that is just put down to increased production and logistics costs.
We are sure that B.O.C is under enormous price pressure but surely they are making millions of dollars elsewhere and little old helium doesn’t have to be priced to the point where children cannot have helium balloons at their birthday party, where fun and colour and atmosphere doesn’t have to be killed due to increased production and logistics costs.
At Helium2go we are on the ground level dealing with Mums and Dads and kids that enjoy the magic of helium balloons and we deeply apologise to our valued existing and future customers that helium has become so expensive and hence helium balloons are becoming out of reach in price for many people.
We are not sure where this ends and between helium shortages that we have faced as an industry for the past 5 years in a row, Covid which almost destroyed our entire industry and now inflationary effects which are pricing us and everyone out of the market, where does it end?
Will we all end up living on the streets? Will we end up hunting for food?
In 40 years of business in the balloon industry and in business in general, we have never ever seen it get this bad and we truly fear for the future for ourselves, our children and our Grand Children.
Mark Bailey.
