Does Winn Dixie Blow Up Balloons

If you’re out shopping at Winn-Dixie and buying some party supplies, you may wonder if the staff will inflate some balloons for you. What if you have brought balloons from outside? Is this a service they offer, and will they do it for free? 

Winn-Dixie stores will fill store-bought balloons with helium for free but will charge to fill balloons purchased elsewhere. Balloons purchased in-store from Winn-Dixie can be filled once you have paid for the balloon. 

Keep reading to learn more about Winn-Dixie’s helium services and where else you can go to get balloons filled. 

Will Winn-Dixie Fill My Balloon?

Yes, Winn Dixie will fill your balloon but will do so for the cost of the balloon itself if you have brought your own balloon into the store. The value of the balloon is determined by Winn-Dixie management and can run as high as $10 per balloon. 

What does this look like? Let’s say that you purchase a balloon from another retailer for $5. You then bring this balloon into Winn-Dixie and request to have it inflated. Winn-Dixie will then charge you for the inflation at the company-determined value of the balloon. 

So, you may spend upward of $15 total dollars on the balloon and the inflation. A simpler option would be to purchase the balloon from Winn-Dixie itself and get it blown up with helium for free. This can save you money, and save you time, as well. 

Where Else Can I Get Balloons Inflated?

Dollar Tree, Party City, and CVS are other options for getting a balloon blown up. All of these retailers will inflate balloons purchased in-store, though a fee is required for many balloon types. 

Dollar Tree will decline to fill balloons purchased elsewhere, and Party City will charge a fee for inflating outside balloons. If a location charges for helium, it is typical to pay anywhere from $1 – $5 on average, depending on the size and material of the balloon. 

CVS will fill outside balloons so long as you have a receipt to prove the purchase. It is typical to charge the price of that balloon in exchange for helium. Walmart only fills balloons at select locations, so call ahead to ensure your local Walmart provides this service.

Walmart will only blow up balloons you bought from them for a fee, anywhere from $0.25-$1 per balloon, depending on location and balloon size. 

Can You Buy Your Own Helium?

The prices of helium have skyrocketed in the past year or so. As a result, helium tanks that used to be fairly inexpensive have risen to the hundreds-of-dollars range. Whereas in years past, buying your own tank of helium could have been affordable and practical, that is no longer the case. It is now cheaper to allow stores to fill up your balloons for you, even if they charge a fee. 

This is thanks, in part, to the increased need for helium for military and space exploration projects, as a coolant, and in the medical field. As many nations ramp-up up their production of weapons and develop their aerospace programs, helium will be in increasingly high demand. It will be costly for the average consumer. 

It’s still much cheaper to allow Winn-Dixie or another retailer to inflate the balloons for you.