Party City announced late last week that they plan to shut down about 45 stores across the nation... All due to a global helium shortage!
"The problem is, helium is being used up faster than it can be produced these days," Anders Bylund, an analyst at Motley Fool wrote.
I KNOW YOU READ THE NEWS, JIMMY! PUT THAT BALLOON DOWN RIGHT NOW!!!!!!
“This year, after careful consideration and evaluation of our store fleet, we’ve made the decision to close more stores than usual in order to help optimize our market-level performance, focus on the most profitable locations, and improve the overall health of our store portfolio,” Party City Chief Executive Officer James Harrison said.
But (fun) birthday parties aren't the only things at risk because of the shortage... Smartphones, MRIs, and even space shuttles use helium as a natural resource!
NO!!! BAD HELEN MIRREN... AND WHY DO YOU LOOK SO HAPPY WHILE WASTING OUR RESOURCES?! STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!!!!
Party City even tried to explain the bad news to their customers on its website:
“Helium supply has always been a little up in the air (pun intended). With only three sources producing 75 percent of the world's helium, any disruption causes a significant impact. Currently, helium supply is very low while demand is growing.”
THIS IS NO TIME FOR PUNS, PARTY CITY. THIS IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY, AND YOU BETTER START ACTING LIKE IT!!!!
OH!!!! ALAN RICKMAN TOO?! I AM LOSING ALL KINDS OF RESPECT FOR YOU SIR! PUT IT DOWN!!!!!
While Party (Pooper) City has yet to release their full list of stores to be closed, we do know that closings have already been reported in Connecticut, Illinois, Washington, and yep... Make sure you're sitting down for this one... California.
Check out all of the details on NBC News.