The economy might not be anything to celebrate, but the Mardi Gras show must go on. That’s the consensus of some business owners who benefit from Carnival season parades, balls and parties.
At Fort Bayou Spirits in Ocean Springs, owner Marta Williams says the party-related business remains good.
“The concerns about the economy extend to many things, but in the Carnival season, they want things the same,” she said.
It helps that the price of most champagnes and sparkling wines have held steady, “and that’s what most of the Carnival business is for us,” she said.
At School and Carnival Supply in Gulfport, general manager Genna Smith said the bead business there is “doing fine.”
“We’re actually doing a little better than last year,” she added, “I’d say between 10 and 20 percent more. That includes all three of our stores, in Gulfport, Hattiesburg and the new one in Moss Point.”
She credits part of that to purchase-time luck.
“We bought a lot of our items earlier last year, before the gas prices went through the roof and that drove up prices for a lot of things,” she said. She also sees an increasing interest in the Carnival season in inland areas such as Hattiesburg.
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