Beloved family-run party shop forced to close after 27 years with huge 50% off sale for its last day
PLAYTIME is over for a beloved family-run party shop that launched a mega 50% off sale for its final day.
Party Planet, based in Lincoln, went out with a bang after opening its doors 27 years ago, with the final sale taking place on Tuesday, February 25.
The business offered 50 per cent off of everything apart from inflated balloons until 4pm on its last day open.
They announced the unfortunate sale on Sunday, February 23, in a devastating Facebook post.
They said: "It is with great sadness that we write this. This coming Tuesday, 25th February 2025 will be our last day of trading after 27 wonderful years.”
"We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to each and every one of our customers for your support over the years, many of you even becoming friends.
READ MORE MONEY NEWS
They added: “To show our thanks, there’s 50% OFF EVERYTHING (excluding inflated balloons) until we close at 4pm on Tuesday."
Seasonal decorations, costumes and props were available too, the business added.
"We’ve even got as much seasonal stock out of storage for you as we can currently fit on the shelves, we’re talking HALF PRICE HALLOWEEN, Christmas, Father’s Day, as well as the upcoming St Patrick’s Day and Mother’s Day.
The post continued: "If you’ve got an order with us for Tuesday 25th or before, rest assured everything is fine with your booking, and we’ve already been in contact with everybody in the diary after that date.
“It’d be lovely to see as many of you as possible in store over our last couple of days… with love and gratitude from the Party Planet team."
Heart-broken customers showed their love for the shop, with many telling stories of their most memorable experiences at the retailer.
One devastated shopper said: "So so sad your closing! My mums been coming to you since I was little, every Halloween for my brothers birthday who’s 30 this year & myself for my two children (eldest is 7 this year)!
"You’ve even helped me personally when I had my own little balloon/events business & I was so grateful and thankful for your kindness and help."
Another saddened customer said: "My son is 10 and every year for his birthday we have come to you for his big birthday balloon and decorations!"
She added: "Will be strange having to go somewhere else this year!! Good luck to you all for the future."
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025."
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
The owners had previously tried to sell the business, announcing a purchasing opportunity on January 27.
They said: "You read that right! Exciting business opportunity! After 26 years of family ownership, we have decided to sell Party Planet."
The owners added: "A very well established Lincoln business. Purchase price of £25,000 plus stock at valuation (negotiable)."
