Party City implosion will leave store space empty in prime spot next to Tri-Cities’ 2nd Costco
Party City will close its Richland store amid a companywide implosion documented by CNN.
An employee at the New Jersey company’s Richland store confirmed the Vintner Square location will close in February.
The store is at 2907 Queensgate Drive. That’s across Truman Avenue from the site where Costco Wholesale broke ground on its $26 million store and $4 million fueling station last month.
The prime location all but guarantees the Party City spot between Ulta Beauty and Grocery Outlet will be released to another tenant eager to be near Costco. The new Costco has been reshaping the area since its identity was linked to the area a year ago.
Browman Development Co., the California firm that owns the Target-anchored Vintner Square Shopping Center, has not yet advertised the spot for lease. The leasing agent who represents the Richland retail complex could not be reached Friday morning.
Party City sells party supplies and trinkets and has 11 stores in Washington.
In addition to Richland, its stores are in Bellevue, Burlington, Covington, Everett, Federal Way, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Olympia, Puyallup and Silverdale.
Friday, CNN reported it viewed a meeting in which Party City CEO Barry Litwin informed corporate employees that Dec. 20 would be their last day.
There was no mention of the trouble on the company’s website Friday. However, the CNN report indicated store managers were informed that their locations would close in early 2025.
Party City filed for bankruptcy in January 2023 and exited that September, keeping most of its 800 stores in business.
In Washington, employers are required to notify Washington Department of Employment Security about pending job cuts under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) system.
No notices were posted Friday.
This story was originally published December 20, 2024 at 12:32 PM.