Staples, Party City partner on in-store experience. Photo: jetcityimage - stock.adobe.com June 26, 2026 Staples and Party City have teamed up to deploy Party City store experiences inside more than 700 Staples locations nationwide and on Staples.com, with plans to expand to additional stores by the end of 2026. Customers can shop party décor, tableware, gift bags, costume accessories and favors, while also creating personalized invitations, banners, yard signs and posters through Staples print services, according to a press release. "Staples has always been focused on making things easy for our customers, and our partnership with Party City takes that promise into new territory," Marshall Warkentin, president, Staples U.S. Retail, said in the release. "By bringing Party City into Staples stores, we're expanding what customers can accomplish in one place - combining helium balloons and party supplies with our print and marketing services to offer a complete solution for celebrations, from graduations to grand openings and everything in between." Staples operates throughout North America via e-commerce and more than 900 retail stores.

Party City is returning to physical retail through a shop-in-shop partnership with Staples, launching in approximately 700 stores this spring. The arrangement marks Party City's first brick-and-mortar presence since shutting down its standalone locations in 2024. The collaboration, announced on 21 April, will feature party supplies, tableware, decorations, costumes and helium-filled balloons. Customers will also be able to order balloons online or through the Staples app. Staples president Marshall Warkentin highlighted the bundling appeal, combining Party City products with Staples' print and marketing services for one-stop event planning. The partnership includes spring promotions such as buy two, get one free on select balloons through 13 June and £5 off purchases over £25 through 2 May. Both companies indicated plans to expand the partnership to additional locations and online channels.

Staples appoints chief growth officer. The office supply retailer promoted Chris Powers to the C-suite position as it aims to drive sustainable growth. Published April 7, 2026 Staples promoted Chris Powers to the chief growth officer position in March. The executive noted his excitement in a LinkedIn post announcing the move about four weeks ago. Powers has worked at the office supplies retailer for about 18 years, with leadership roles covering revenue management, pricing strategy, investor relations and more. Staples did not immediately respond to Retail Dive's request for comment on details of the appointment. "This milestone is very much the result of the incredible people I've had the privilege to work with throughout my career - leaders who invested in me, teammates who pushed my thinking, partners who trusted me, and colleagues who showed up every day committed to doing great work for our customers," Powers said on LinkedIn. "I'm excited to continue learning and building alongside so many talented people as we focus on delivering for our customers while driving sustainable growth." The office supply company joined in on pre-holiday sales events with the launch of its first Easy Deal Days in October, which offered up to 40% off on over 1,000 items. Additionally, Staples in September announced a partnership with Now Optics to debut five Stanton Optical eye care and eyewear shop-in-shops within the Philadelphia area. Ulta Beauty named its first chief strategy and growth officer last week, promoting employee Kristin Wolf to the position. QVC Group also tapped external hire Alex Wellen as its chief growth officer in March of last year.