Christmas items having already deserted the shelves the day after December 25, the store is now looking its best, for a few days, to prepare as best as possible for New Year's Eve and the arrival of party-goers in search disguise, decoration or any other festive object. ''L'Île aux Cotillons'', La Palud area in Fréjus, is accustomed to the fact: this joke and trick brand has existed for many years and knows how to anticipate requests.
“This year, perhaps even more than before, people are doing it at the last minute, so no trend has yet emerged regarding the themes or disguises in vogue at the end of the year”attest Maxime Colinelli and Marie-Laure Ferrero, the co-managers of the Fréjus department store.
No big party?
The arrival of season 2 of the Korean series Squid Gamelast Thursday on Netflix, or the essential and timeless Harry Potter, Avatar or The War of the Canvases doesn't change anything: no particular fashionable disguise. “And even, it seems that people, this year, are going to celebrate New Year's Eve less than before, the co-managers seem to note. There are disco costumes that are always successful, timeless, but nothing crazy. Is the budget all gone by Christmas Eve? Or does the prevailing gloominess of the news dissuade people from having a big party? We ignore it. Surely people will come at the last moment…”
In order to boost purchases or rentals of costumes, managers are in the process of destocking many costumes and giving them reduced prices. “The decoration – various objects adorned with the year 2025 – is doing rather well, on the other hand!”
But if there is one corner in the store that seems to be very popular, like every year at the same time, it is the fireworks section. Noise, colors, surprise: it's the explosive cocktail that pleases all the guests to mark the transition to the new year! “This department, you see, is full to bursting, presents Maxime Colinelli. And usually on the 1st day of the year it becomes empty! During this period, the sale of firecrackers is multiplied by 5 or 6…” Whatever the desired caliber, from the simple 'finger snap' to the large box costing almost 600 euros – containing 2kg of powder and which promises a jet up to 50 meters high – there is something for everyone. . “Recently, we have had to take the identity of these buyers, adds the co-manager. But it sells very well!”
''L'Île aux Cotillons'', 463 Av. André-Citroën in Fréjus. Open today from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., then tomorrow and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Such. 04.94.53.72.64.
What does the law say on the matter?
For use on public property, the user is required to make a request to the town hall and wait for authorization to carry out their shot. Without authorization, firecrackers or other fireworks cannot be used on public roads. The sale and use of pyrotechnic products, recently subject to an identity statement, also depend municipal or prefectural decrees. So be sure to check with your town hall before having this project in mind. On the other hand, current legislation does not require a prior declaration to be made to the town hall in the event of fireworks being set off on private property. This could be a house for example, an estate or a garden.
