A FIZZCO CHRISTMAS GUIDE
Stop paying retail for Christmas
The wholesale buyer’s guide to commercial Christmas decorations: how to get the same quality for less, and what to look for in a trade supplier.
Your wholesale Christmas partner
WRITTEN FOR
Event managers
Sourcing decorations to fulfil your clients’ briefs, and protect your margin while you do it.
Venue & hotel owners
Making your space feel special over Christmas, without it becoming another headache.
THE SHORT VERSION
There are two ways to buy Christmas
If you’re sorting Christmas for a venue or an event, you’re busy. You don’t have time to wonder whether you’re paying more than you need to. So here it is plainly: if you’re buying commercial decorations at retail prices, you almost certainly are. Most venues and event managers buy from high-street sites without realising there’s another route. It’s an easy mistake, those sites are designed to be found.
Retail route
You buy the same way a shopper would: full retail price, markup baked in, design help charged as an extra or not offered at all.
Trade route
You buy direct from the supplier at trade prices, with the design help included. Same products. Same quality. A noticeably better price. For event managers, that protects your margin. For venue owners, it stretches your budget further.
What “trade” actually means
A trade account is simply buying direct from the maker and supplier, rather than through a retail shopfront. No middleman, no retail markup. With Fizzco, your account is free to open and there’s no obligation to order.
SIDE BY SIDE
Retail vs Trade
The product on the shelf can be identical. What changes is the price you pay and the support you get alongside it.
| What you’re comparing | Buying retail | Buying trade (with Fizzco) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Retail markup on every item | Trade prices, direct from us |
| Design help | Pay extra, or do it alone | Included as standard |
| Product range | Piece it together across several sites | One supplier, 10,000+ products |
| Delivery | Varies, possible customs & import delays | UK-based, quick, no customs forms |
| Seeing it first | Guesswork from a product photo | Free superimposition onto your own photos |
| Reuse & value | Often a single-season buy | High-quality, reusable, sustainable |
| Who carries the risk | It’s on you if it’s late | 100% delivery record, full H&S credentials |
Same tree, no mark-up, better help.
YOUR CHECKLIST
What a good trade supplier should give you
A trade price on its own isn’t enough. The point of going trade is to take work off your plate, not just to shave a few pounds. Here’s what a good one should cover:
Real trade pricing: direct rates, not a “discount code” on top of retail.
Design help included: not billed back to you as an extra.
Everything from one place: trees, garlands, wreaths, lighting and finishing touches under one roof.
UK stock and quick delivery:
no customs forms, no import delays.
A way to see it first: so you’re confident before you commit a penny.
Materials built to last: reusable, sustainable, and ready for a busy environment.
A delivery record they’ll stand behind: on time, on budget, every season.
A quick test
If your current supplier ticks fewer than five of these, it’s worth ten minutes to look at the trade route. You may be paying more and getting less.
BEFORE YOU BUY
5 questions to ask any supplier
Whether you stay where you are or look elsewhere, these five questions will tell you quickly whether you’re on the trade route or quietly paying retail.
Can I get everything from one supplier, or am I piecing it together?
Where does it ship from and could customs slow it down?
Can I see it in my own space before I commit to the order?
What good sounds like
A genuine trade partner answers all five without flinching, with no hard sell. If you get vague answers or buzzwords, that’s your answer.
The Fizzco promise
- 100% delivery record: a decade without missing a deadline.
- Transparent about sustainability and materials.
- Proven risk management and impeccable Health & Safety credentials.
- Lincolnshire Green Business of the Year & Winner of Winners 2026.
I’m Wendy, director here at Fizzco. Every year I talk to event managers and venue owners who are paying full retail price for their Christmas decorations, without knowing there is a trade route open to them. I put this guide together to show you exactly what changes when you buy trade instead of retail, and what to look for in a genuine trade supplier. No jargon, no hard sell, just what I would want to know if I was in your position.
WENDY, DIRECTOR AT FIZZCO
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Open your free trade account
Same quality, better prices, help with design. No middleman and no retail markup. There’s no obligation, so it costs nothing to see what you’d save.
Wendy, Director, Fizzco
Call 01427 666029
On LinkedIn? Message “Trade” and we’ll send your link
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