These Party City locations have been acquired in NC. Here’s what the stores could become
.JPEG "Party City is “winding down” operations, the company’s CEO told corporate employees on a video conference call in December 2024, according to a CNN report.")
Party City stores North Carolina have been purchased by different retailers.
The stores in Raleigh and Garner were among more than 250 locations across the country won in auctions by companies including Five Below, Dollar Tree and Texas-based Cavender’s, bankruptcy documents show.
The popular party supplies retailer began going-out-of-business sales at its approximately 700 stores across the country — including in North Carolina — in December.
Party City made the decision to close following “exhaustive efforts ... to find a path forward that would allow continued operations in an immensely challenging environment driven by inflationary pressures on costs and consumer spending, among other factors,” according to a press release.
It is one of several large retailers, along with Big Lots, Advance Auto Parts and American Freight, to announce store closures on a national scale in recent months.
Here’s what to know about what could happen to two Party City stores in Wake County.
Which Triangle stores were purchased?
Party City locations at 280 Shenstone Blvd. in Garner and at 8081 Brier Creek Parway in Raleigh were won by in a Friday, Feb. 7 auction.
- Books-A-Million purchased the Garner store. According to its website, the book retailer Books-A-Million has more than 260 stores in 32 states and Washington, D.C. The retailer has two North Carolina locations in Goldsboro and Rocky Mount. Stores range in size from 4,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet.
- Five Below purchased the Raleigh location. The discount retailer has 46 stores in North Carolina, including nearly a dozen in the Triangle.
Elsewhere in the Triangle, Party City operates stores in Durham (5402 New Hope Commons Drive), Raleigh (3604 Sumner Blvd.) and Cary (203 Crossroads Blvd.). Those three locations did not attract winning bids.
Which Charlotte-area stores were purchased?
- Charlotte (5407 South Blvd.): Five Below
- Charlotte (7601-A Pineville Matthews Road): Dollar Tree
- Concord (6110 Bayfield Parkway): Five Below
- Gastonia (3686 E. Franklin Blvd.): Dollar Tree
Mooresville (590 F River Highway): Rack Room Shoes, Inc.
Several other Party City locations in North Carolina attracted winning bids:
- Fayetteville (2065 Skibo Road): Cavender’s Inc.
- Greensboro (2637 Lawndale Drive): Pacolet Milliken, LLC
- Greensboro (5408-A Sapp Road): Rack Room Shoes, Inc.
- Wilmington (4715 New Centre Drive): Dollar Tree
- Winston-Salem (566 S. Stratford Road): Dollar Tree
When will the Triangle Party City stores close?
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As of publication, all five Triangle locations remain open as Party City stores.
Some Party City employees received letters from the company saying that stores would close Friday, Feb. 28, and store staff would be terminated, CNN reported in December.
Lease sales must be approved in bankruptcy court, with the hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Pending approval, the leases will be “sold, transferred, or assumed and assigned, as applicable,” on the following dates:
- Garner: March 31, 2025
- Raleigh: Date TBD
This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 11:45 AM with the headline "These Party City locations have been acquired in NC. Here’s what the stores could become."
