After Party City shut all 700 stores in late 2024 and exited the retail floor, its business is back in a new form: shoppers can find Party City products inside more than 700 Staples locations, starting in 2025, while Staples’ print services add graduation- and
When Party City announced it would shutter all 700 nationwide stores in late 2024, it sounded like the end of an era—nearly 40 years of party retail, disappearing from the storefronts customers used for every milestone.
Instead, the brand is now moving into a different kind of retail space. In April, Staples and Party City announced a “shop-within-a-shop” partnership in which Staples would begin offering Party City products inside more than 700 stores.
The timing wasn’t accidental. The companies said the rollout comes ahead of graduation season, when spending on goods and services tied to commencement reached more than $6.8 billion in 2025, and is expected to surpass a record $7.2 billion in 2026.
Marshall Warkentin, the president of Staples U.S. Retail, framed the move as a one-stop solution. “By bringing Party City into Staples stores. we’re expanding what customers can accomplish in one place—combining helium balloons and party supplies with our print and marketing services to offer a complete solution for celebrations. from graduations to grand openings and everything in between. ” he said in the April announcement.
For shoppers, the shift is practical. Party City’s in-store lineup includes balloons, gift bags, costume accessories, party favors, décor, and tableware. Staples’ print services are folded into the celebration shopping list as well. enabling customers to create personalized invitations. banners. yard signs. and posters.
The idea has already traveled beyond traditional retail buzz. Staples’ print and marketing offerings went viral on social media in February, after a print and marketing department employee created content during her shift. Online viewers dubbed it the “Staples Baddie.”
Party City’s return is also built on a harder backstory. The retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice—first in 2023 and again in 2024. In December 2024, it said it would close all of its stores and eliminate its staff.
Employees were reportedly blindsided. They lost all benefits and received no severance, adding a jolt to the company’s abrupt exit from the retail map.
The financial collapse played out in stages. After Party City’s initial filing cited $1.7 billion in debt, it cleared nearly $1 billion. The second filing was the one that couldn’t be repaired: the remaining deficit of $800 million proved too much to overcome.
At a February 2025 bankruptcy auction. New Amscan PC—an affiliate of Ad Populum. the parent company behind Chia Pets and The Clapper—purchased Party City’s IP and assets for $20 million. In the initial partnership announcement. Ad Populum CEO Joel Weinshanker said the company is relying on partnerships to expand the brand’s footprint. “As we take the new Party City to more places than ever before. finding the right partners is essential. ” he said. “Staples stood out immediately. not only for its national footprint. but for its strong connection to the communities we have both been part of for years. It felt like a natural fit from the start.”.
Party City’s plan is to keep expanding its Staples footprint throughout 2026.
And it’s not the only former-brick-and-mortar name testing a shop-within-a-shop formula. In April, Bed Bath & Beyond announced it would be reopening in a new format, “The Container Store + Bed Bath & Beyond,” as Inc. previously reported.
For now, the practical effect is clear: customers who once relied on Party City storefronts can find some of the same celebration essentials at a retailer they may already visit—plus new print offerings designed for events like graduations and grand openings.
Only time will tell how well these partnerships hold up for the brands involved. But the message for shoppers is immediate: the party doesn’t have to end just because the stores did.
—Victoria Salves, Editorial Fellow
This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister website, Inc.com.
Party City Staples shop-within-a-shop retail partnership Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction graduation season print and marketing services Ad Populum Joel Weinshanker New Amscan PC
So Party City is just… inside Staples now? Kinda weird but I guess balloons gotta go somewhere.
Wait I thought Party City closed for good, like everywhere. This sounds like PR magic though, because if they closed 700 stores in 2024 how do they still have product?
I mean I get it, graduations are expensive, but $6.8 billion?? That seems made up or just the article math. Also When Party City says “complete solution” but it’s literally still Staples checkout, not like the old aisles. I miss the costumes section.
Honestly this is just Staples trying to sell everything at once. Next they’ll have party clowns in the toner aisle lol. I don’t even print invitations anymore, we just text. But sure, “yard signs and posters” for grand openings… who’s paying for that in 2026 when everyone has a QR code??