No matter what item you happen to be interested in, you’ve likely seen retailers tout the quality of their products over their competitors. Occasionally, there are drastic differences that are extremely important. For instance, certain car brands are known for durability and quality. Meanwhile, their competitor is all about affordability. In the end, you have to determine what is best for you as a consumer. However, by the same rationale, does sparkler quality matter in the same way? And, if so, how can you spot copycats, hucksters, and shady retailers that you don’t want to give your money to?
As the leading wedding sparkler retailer in the USA, we are no stranger to this dilemma. Sadly, most of our competitors literally rip off our topics and content day after day. Technically, it’s not a crime. However, it’s certainly unethical, annoying, and sleazy on a wholesale level. Moreover, as someone who works day and night to bring you real ideas and advice to make your wedding as amazing as possible, I find it pathetic and insulting; and on an extremely personal level. I actually care, and I want you to have a perfect celebration. And, if that is important to you, you’re not alone. Here are some tips to help you know if you’re dealing with a company that has ethical behavior or if they just want their hands in your pockets.
Is Their Content Similar to Reputable and Time-Tested Companies?
One of the easiest ways to spot a knock-off brand is to review the content of their website. Most companies that sell low quality sparklers will copy the buzzwords and marketing strategies of the industry leaders. However, their writing is usually lackluster at best; with many grammatical and factual errors throughout their text. If a website reads in a similar way as a reputable company’s, chances are they are bottom-feeders looking to ride the coattails and steal your business. The ultimate question you need to ask is “does sparkler quality matter to this company?”
Do They Literally Copy Another Company’s Topics?
Similarly, you can skim through the content of each retailer’s blog to see if they offer unique and helpful content. Sadly, many of these shady people will literally copy the topics from better websites because they are not capable of original thought. Moreover, it demonstrates that they don’t really care about you or your wedding; they just want your money. A real professional will take the time to innovate and create; not duplicate. If you see several blog posts that are similar to the industry leader, but published a week later, you know you’re dealing with a scummy and untrustworthy seller.
The easiest way to tell is to search for the title of a blog post. Usually, the knock-off retailers will show up 2-3 spots beneath the reputable companies. Additionally, it will show you the date when each post was indexed to reveal who is a copycat and who leads by example.
Did they Fail to Keep Inventory During the Pandemic?
Another surefire way to know if you’ve found a good source is to look at their operational capacity. As we all know, there has been a massive sparkler shortage since the start of the pandemic. Though struggling to keep some items in stock is a constant battle, being out of stock for 2-3 months means they aren’t a real player in this industry. Conversely, Wedding Day Sparklers has been able to keep all the most popular sparklers in stock without fail; and that’s because we sell 4-5 times as many as our so-called “rivals”. Sadly, I’m unaware of any other company that can make the same claim. If a company can’t prioritize the products you want, they aren’t the best choice for making a purchase.
Are They a Resource for Original Ideas and Inspiration?
Besides copying another person’s ideas and content, you’ll see a clear lack of high quality ideas on these websites. Whether its photos, step-by-step instructions, or buyer’s guides, well formatted content that is actually helpful can be a big tip off. When you look at our ideas and inspiration section, you’ll notice we have many photos that you can’t find anywhere else. That’s because we work directly with photographers and wedding planners to bring you useful and relevant ideas. If you see a lot of thin content and the same pictures over and over, you know you’re in the wrong place.
Do They “Double-Dip” in the Fireworks Market?
By far the sleaziest and most pathetic attempt greedy hucksters make is what I always call “double-dipping”. Throughout the country, there are several fireworks wholesalers that supply various websites and retail locations for their firework inventory. That’s a great business model, but they also owe some integrity to their clients. Could you imagine a dairy farm supplying a local grocery store with milk, but then they setup a retail stand in the very same parking lot to siphon away their own client’s business? These people have an ethical responsibility to be one or the other; not to “double-dip”.
Nothing miffs me more than a company with such low integrity that they play both sides of the coin. Sadly, many do. A quality company would never need to screw over their clients for some side cash. If they can’t be trusted to do their actual business model correctly, you certainly shouldn’t invite them into the most special celebration of your life.
Do They Actually Care About Your Wedding or the People Involved?
Asking yourself the question “does sparkler quality matter” is not the end of the thought process here; you need to look a little deeper. When we founded this company, it was to serve our customers and be part of making their wedding day special. It’s a big responsibility, and we take it very seriously. Before deciding on where to buy sparklers for your wedding, you should ask yourself if the retailer actually cares. If they don’t have the integrity to do the hard work, they obviously only see you as a stack of cash in their wallet.
Does Sparkler Quality Matter at Wedding Day Sparklers?
For over a decade, we have been providing products and services specifically for weddings. If you look at our online reputation, you’ll quickly see that we have the most reviews and they are from real customers. Whether you look at our Wedding Wire page or Facebook, it’s immediately clear that our customers are happy. And that isn’t by chance or by mistake! We have personally selected our brands and products based on quality and value instead of whatever happens to be the cheapest. When a retailer takes pride in the quality of their products, you know you can trust their motives.
Fortunately, the fact that I’ve been doing this for over a decade has its advantages over copycats. In that time, I’ve seen over a dozen of these shady retailers come and go. What they never realize is that there aren’t any shortcuts; you need to do the hard work. You need to put your customers first and stand behind your ethics and your products. In the end, Google will blacklist these websites and you’ll never see them again. If I had a nickel for each one I’ve watched it happen to, I’d easily have over $1. However, they do usually stick around for a few months to a year.
In the meantime, I hope these tips have helped you to identify the good options versus the bad actors. Remember, sparkler quality does matter and you need to pay attention. Good luck and I hope you have a great shopping experience!
