Party City plans to open 50 Toy City pop-up stores by September, further expanding its entry into the toy business. The temporary locations will be operated alongside the chain’s Halloween City pop-up shops in a bid to create a “concurrent seasonal and toy destination,” Party CEO James Harrison said in a statement. The new stores will also will complement that chain’s seasonal business and take advantage of “category whitespace” created by Toys R Us’ liquidation, Harrison said.  The stores also are a further expansion of Party City’s plans for increasing its toy-related business, a move that had been expected since the chain hired former Toys R Us executive Jamie Uitdenhowen as Chief Merchandising Officer  late last year. It has been testing toy sales through about 20 Party City stores.

Contact:

Party City, James Harrison, CEO, 914-345-2020, jharrison@partycity.com