After closing all of its stores in 2024, Party City is officially back—in an unexpected place

For one retailer, the party never ends. After announcing it would shutter all 700 nationwide stores in late 2024, Party City is back. Well, kind of. Consumers can now find all their celebration needs within Staples’ aisles. In April, the companies announced that Staples would begin offering Party City products inside more than 700 stores thanks to a strategic “shop-within-a-shop” partnership. The announcement was strategically made ahead of graduation season. Consumer spending on goods and services tied to commencement exceeded $6.8 billion in 2025. That total is expected to surpass a record $7.2 billion in 2026. “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,” said Marshall Warkentin, the president of Staples U.S. Retail, in the April announcement. Party City’s in-store products include balloons, gift bags, costume accessories, party favors, décor, and tableware. Now, shoppers can also create personalized invitations, banners, yard signs, and posters through Staples’ print services. The range of Staples’ print offerings went viral on social media back in February, thanks to a print and marketing department employee who created content during her shift. Online viewers quickly deemed her the “Staples Baddie.” Who’s behind the revival of Party City? Party City filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice (in 2023 and 2024). In December 2024, it announced that it would close all of its stores and eliminate its staff after nearly 40 years in business. Employees were reportedly blindsided by the news; they lost all benefits and received no severance. After the company’s initial filing cited $1.7 billion in debt, it cleared nearly $1 billion. The second filing led to the inevitable fall of the company; the remaining deficit of $800 mil