Petals & Vines is back in the balloon business — for now. The Monmouth, Oregon florist got its first tank of helium last month after being tankless since August.

“I would say we lost quite a few orders,” says owner Maggie Triplett. “People come here all the time for balloons and we weren’t able to sell them.”

Triplett isn’t alone. Many florists have struggled to find helium tanks as worldwide supply issues have led to shortages. When florists do get their hands on a tank, there’s another struggle, however: Paying for it.

Prices on the Up and Up

When Carl Larese bought a tank of helium last month, he paid about $800. That’s about a 200% increase from two years ago, he says.

“It’s gone up almost $80 to $90 … every time I order a tank, which is every five or six months,” says Larese, owner of Larese Floral Design in Erie, Pennsylvania. “It’s absolutely absurd.”

Larese says he can inflate 300 to 400 balloons per tank. At $800 per tank, it costs at least $2 to fill each balloon, compared to about $1 two years ago. As the price of helium increases, so, too, does the price Larese and other florists charge for helium-inflated balloons.

Triplett, whose latest tank price increased by more than $75, says her shop charges $6.50 for a mylar balloon, up from $5. Helium-filled latex balloons are $2.50, a 50-cent increase.

Larese says his customers haven’t yet balked at his prices, which have gone up gradually over the past two years in response to increased helium prices. But he wonders whether it’s sustainable long-term, especially given market competition. For example, his customers will pay $8 to add a heart-shaped mylar balloon to a Valentine’s Day bouquet. A similar balloon sells for $1.25 at a nearby dollar store, says Larese.

That is, if the store has helium. On its website, a national dollar store chain recommends customers call first to ensure it can fill the balloons. Even party stores, which can offer cheaper prices thanks to bulk purchasing, don’t always have a full tank.

Betsy Gardner, owner of The Plant Shoppe Florist in Gainesville, Florida, says customers sometimes bring in balloons they’ve purchased from stores that didn’t have the helium to inflate them. She charges $5 to fill a mylar balloon bought elsewhere.

Gardner says she sells her own mylar balloons for $6, up from $3 when she purchased her shop in 1999. While she has seen the price of helium increase over the years, most notably in 2020, Gardner says her price for a tank has only gone up by $200 since she began using her current helium supplier in 2009. “When you think of it that way, it’s nothing,” she says. Gardner says she’s unsure why she hasn’t been affected as dramatically as other florists, but suggests it could be based on location and supply company.

Supply Chain and Demand to Blame

Helium shortages and price increases are caused by a variety of factors. An executive at a helium supplier, who didn’t want his name or company identified to protect the integrity of the business, says there have been supply issues everywhere.

To name a few: In the United States, he says helium reserve management and equipment upkeep have been mismanaged. A plant in Texas shut down for three months last year because of safety violations. Internationally, plants in Qatar went offline temporarily for routine maintenance. In addition, Qatar’s neighbors have at times prevented the country from exporting its helium. In Russia, a fire last year took its new facility offline. And then add in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has affected helium production and sales in Europe and Africa.

The helium supply executive says he doesn’t expect helium prices to come down any time soon. Even when supply chain issues are eventually resolved, the demand for helium is always rising. It is used by the military, researchers, scientists, and welders. It cools MRI machine magnets, helps inflate airbags, and protects deep-sea divers from life-threatening decompression sickness. It is used to produce fiber optic cables for faster internet, and semiconductors that are in almost everything electronic. And more.

There is another factor to consider: Helium is a nonrenewable resource.

“The prices keep going up because helium has a very finite amount,” says the helium supply executive. “It is going to continue to go up. Whether it goes up as exponentially as it has over the past few years, I don’t know, but it’s definitely going to continue to see increases.”

What’s Ahead for Helium Balloons?

When Gardner saw her first big price increase for helium tanks in 2020 – from February to July of that year, her cost went up more than $120 – she started looking for alternatives. She found a promising one at burton + BURTON, a balloon and balloon equipment supplier that published a blog post in 2019 promoting air-filled balloons to address helium shortages.

Kacie Carswell, marketing manager for burton + BURTON, says air inflation machine sales have increased the past few years, but the company points to other factors outside helium.

“There may have been a recent resurgence in popularity due to both the cost and availability of helium, but not necessarily a direct result,” says Carswell. “We attribute to the rise in balloon décor created on social media.”

Gardner says she purchased one of the air inflation machines, along with balloon holders and sticks designed to keep the balloons upright. While she says the products worked well, her customers mostly decline the air-filled balloons. Given the option, she says customers request the traditional helium-filled variety. Gardner obliges, adding that she has never had to fall back on the air machine due to an empty helium tank.

“We have no problems getting it,” says Gardner. “I call, I ask for a tank, and we either get it the same day or the next day.”

On the other side of the country, where Petals & Vines waited five months for its latest tank, Triplett is hoping her helium lasts at least through Valentine’s Day. If it doesn’t, she has other add-ons that have surpassed balloons in popularity over the years. The chocolates, she says, always sell out first. Teddy bears are another favorite bouquet accompaniment.

Even outside of Valentine’s Day, Triplett says her balloon sales have dropped over the years. She points to cheaper balloon prices at dollar stores and party stores, and decreased funding for public school decorations. So when her helium tank does run out, Triplett says she’s not overly concerned if she has to wait five months again for another.

“Our main focus is flowers,” says Triplett. “Balloons are a side kick for us. It doesn’t make or break our business at all.”

Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.