Party City officially parts ways with the Nassau Mall

By Kyle Ludwig

LEVITTOWN, N.Y. -  After nearly 40 years of helping people with balloons and banners, Party City has officially closed its doors for good. With this closure, the company follows Rocket Fizz and TGI Friday’s as the third large retailer to leave the Nassau Mall. 

Only an empty storefront and fond memories from locals remain at the former bustling store. The once thriving mall was a hotspot for local residents to shop and socialize, but now struggles with declining foot-traffic and an inability to retain businesses, leaving it a shell of what it once was. 

Established in 1986 by Steve Mandel in New Jersey, Party City would go on to find immediate success and ultimately expanded their presence throughout the country. At its peak, the chain had over 750 stores across America, Canada and Puerto Rico. 

Party City joins a list of big box retailers including Macy’s, Big Lots and JoAnn Fabrics in ceasing operations of the majority of its brick and mortar locations resulting in thousands of people becoming unemployed.  

The Levittown location joins all 13 other locations on Long Island in shutting down shop. With graduation season fast approaching, many residents are left with no other choice but to go out of their way for their party needs. 

“I’ll be going to either Amazon or the Dollar Tree for my decorations, but they’re more of an inconvenience,” said local resident Nicholas Digorga.

Although many people are disappointed to see a community staple close, it did not come as a surprise. In December of 2024, Party City announced they would be closing down over 700 of its stores across the U.S. . Only 30 independently owned stores in America will remain open. 

Party City cited debt in excess of $1.7 billion dollars, a nationwide helium shortage in 2023, the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of e-commerce giants like Amazon as being insurmountable, leading the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023. Although Party City was able to shed $1 billion dollars of its debt, they were plagued by $800 million dollars in liabilities, leading to them filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again in 2024. 

With  one of the largest stores now gone, many small businesses and locals alike wonder what’s next for the Nassau Mall. Another local resident, Christopher Soldano believes Party City’s closure will have a negative impact on the remaining businesses.

“Party City’s closure will impact nearby stores because a lot of families who went to Party City would go next door and grab food so it’ll definitely affect those mom and pop shops” said Soldano.  

With the nearest Party City location in Plainfield, New Jersey, residents are now left to choose between pricier online options or cheaply made dollar store items. 

As Levittown residents look to adjust to the departure of a former cornerstone, the boarded up storefront of Party City reflects a shift in commerce throughout the nation. As for plazas like the Nassau Mall, the party may be soon over for them as well.

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