Party City CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees Friday that the company was “winding down” operations immediately and that today would be their last day of employment, CNN reported
I guess all the former Party Citys can become Spirit Halloweens sometimes?
“Winding down”?!
Motherfuckers set off a nuke!
Edit: I’d be down for a year-round Spirit-light
Yeah, “winding down” isn’t compatible with “effective immediately”.
“You misunderstood. We’re winding down (gestures to C-suite suits). You are packing your shit and getting the hell out of my store. Release the hounds Smithers.”
When you use corporate lingo (that happens to also be everyday lingo with the exact same definition) but don’t know what it means.
Spirit-light, nothing! Halloween should be a state of mind, not a holiday!
I mean, who can afford parties any more. Not even joking. None of my friends are buying anything extra for parties. Kids parties as well. Just the essentials.
Yet not long ago I recall reading that people were spending unbelievable amounts of money on Halloween. Even for their pets! Expensive costumes. You name it. People don’t seem all that wise on these things.
Idk, what circles you’re moving in, but consumer spending is up markedly, consumer sentiment is up, the economy is strong, and inflation continues to come in at healthy levers month after month for almost a year now.
That’s why companies like Party City are in such good financial situations.
There’s not really a correlation between a healthy consumer economy and a single market actor. Keep trying though, you’ll get it eventually.
Party City has been circling the drain for a while. All the stuff they were good for has been replaced by dollar stores, spirit Halloween, and Amazon delivery. All they really carry that I can’t get anywhere else in a couple hours/overnight somewhere else is helium/filled mylar balloons. This is just the “time of death” declaration.
Crap. Where will I get single-color M&Ms now?
Times Square M&M store. If you don’t live near NYC, well whose fault is that?
The brand always seemed kind of silly to me. I’m sure the margins are good on their items, but most people will think to go to a retail store instead of a specialized party store. Target and Walmart both sell food and alcohol in my state, so I can stop there and get everything I need for the actual party…
It provided jobs and expertise in good times, before the Walmarts and Targets and then Amazons merely offered cheap.
Like so many things, it was better when there were stores for everything that had to charge more but employed more, tended to have better quality, better sourced products, and provided actual service, but the short term pied piper of “get it for $6 instead of $14” fucked us all in the long run, we murdered main street and made our own communities worse to save a buck today. Now the jobs that are left suck more, the prices suck from lack of competition, and we need only look in the mirror to see who enabled their con.
At least in the whole being a society and not a bunch of rugged individuals in a race to hell sense.
Not that party city or any specialized retailer has been a quality source for products or expertise in a long time. From Bed Bath and Beyond to Toys R US, specialized retailers are just zombie chains clinging to a societally better economy and culture that died decades ago, forced to abandon service and quality to limp along for another fiscal year until they cease to exist so Walmart can then jack up the prices for their party supplies now that there’s no competition to kneecap for same day balloons.
What kind of savage has a party without balloons?
I genuinely seek out speciality stores whenever possible. The selection and quality at Target/Walmart is… forgettable.
I coulda sworn this happened like a decade ago. Idr the last time I even noticed a Party City.
Damn, where will we send Sharon Needles to now?
the party is over
