Call Us Now:
510-525-1799

LOCATION:
1629 San Pablo Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702

STORE HOURS:
Monday – Thursday
10am – 5pm
Friday – Saturday
10am – 6pm
Sunday
10am – 3pm

Archive for the ‘Store News’ Category

Helium Shortage – June 2022

Thursday, June 16th, 2022

mickey mouse balloons and minnie mouse balloons

Right now, we are facing a helium shortage. This has happened before, so we have lots of ideas for gorgeous, playful, and eye-popping non-helium balloon displays. Think columns and sweeping organic air-filled displays for every occasion. These can inspire such awe that you might not miss helium at all!

If you really want helium, we do have a little right now!  We want to be as equitable as we can be with the little we have, so we have a few guidelines for our helium buyers.

Until further notice:

  1. Limit of 20 helium balloon fills per customer.
  2. You must purchase your balloons to be filled with helium from us. We don’t want to fill a potentially leaking balloons and we know the chances are low with our high-quality balloon options.
  3. No helium fills of our larger balloons – like the 24″ and 36″ ones.
  4. We are paying more for helium and that means our pricing will be adjusted accordingly.
  5. No helium tank rentals.

Thank you for your understanding & patience during this shortage. We are doing everything we can to source more helium. As soon as we get the call, we drop everything and go pick it up!

In the meantime, get inspired with these ideas for non-helium balloons!

What to Do When Your Favorite Party Goods Aren’t in Stock

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021

rainbow balloon arch

You had your heart set on the perfect supplies for your carefully orchestrated party plan. Yet when you get to your favorite party store, some of the items you really wanted weren’t in stock. What gives?

More importantly, what are you going to do now?

Don’t worry! We’ve got solutions for all your party planning challenges, and items being out of stock is a party challenge just like any other.

Where are we seeing shortages?

Latex, helium, and certain balloon colors have been hard to get ahold of lately. We’ve also struggled to keep posterboards, signs, and banners in stock. We’ve also had trouble keeping pinatas in stock.

Banners have been really hard to find too. That’s because demand was quite great when everyone was doing everything outside, and suppliers struggled to keep up.

The Reasons

Some of our customers really want to know why we’d ever experience a shortage, so we thought we’d devote a little time to explaining. There are quite a few things that could be going on behind the scenes.

First, there are times when the item is being made at a higher cost and so we have to sell it at a higher cost and don’t order as much.

Another reason is that some of our goods are shipped from China, and right now shipping and trucking costs have gone through the roof. That means we are bringing in fewer shipments. The items will be here, but you may have to wait!

Sometimes there are shortages because the supplies are needed in other industries. For example, latex is used to make medical gloves.

Sometimes the problem is that we’ve lost our manufacturer. Some of them went out of business during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ones we were working with aren’t making those goods anymore. Some companies have also let their representatives go or the company has moved to another state, which can slow down the process of reordering.

Unfortunately, going to another shop won’t always even help when these problems rear their heads. If your favorite store is dealing with these issues then chances are your second choice will be dealing with them, too.

Fortunately, there are workarounds. Read on!

The Solutions

birthday spelled in balloonsIf you’re having trouble finding latex balloons, don’t worry. There are lots of other balloon types to choose from!

Can’t find helium? All sorts of stores are having trouble getting it, which is why there’s been a huge surge in organics. Create columns, pillars, arches, and strands of multi-colored, multi-sized balloons. They are light, portable, and can replace other things that are getting hard to find, like banners.

Can’t find the balloon colors you want? Did you know we can make balloon colors? It’s just a matter of slipping one balloon inside the other.

birthday girl with non helium balloons

For example, purple and green are the hardest balloons to find right now. So we just take a blue one and put it inside the red one. We blow them both up and voila! Purple.

As for a lack of posterboard, signs, or banners, we have a couple of solutions. One is to use rolls of paper in solid color to create the banners yourselves. Another is to use mylar balloons with the messages pre-written on them. Another way would be to find the individual letters, which we often have as big individual items, and then linking them together with brads.

Can’t find piñatas? It’s easy enough to make your own. By the way, piñatas can hold a lot more than candy. You can stuff them with all sorts of favors. They can be an adult-friendly party game, too!

homemade-heart-shaped-balloon-pinataWhen all else fails, you can become a maker! Create things instead of buying them. Use the raw resources you have at your disposal. Get creative! You’d be surprised what you can upcycle into incredible party decorations.

Looking Ahead

Nobody can predict how supply shortages will continue to play out as America recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet Americans are ingenious. We’ll come up with other avenues.

As a consumer, it’s important to hold on to your patience and your sense of humor. Unfortunately, these shortages aren’t anybody’s “fault.” They’re just conditions we’re all facing as we all try to get back to normal.

Here at Paper Plus we are devoted to helping you solve all your toughest party challenges. Can’t figure out what to do? Come on out and see us!

Keeping Safe During Covid

Wednesday, October 21st, 2020

Close up of Paper Plus storefront

Last updated: 2/10/22

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paper Plus has made some changes, both in what we offer and how we offer it. Here’s what we’re up to.

Vaccination

All of our employees are vaccinated.

Hours

Starting Saturday, May 9th, 2020 our hours will be:

Monday-Thursday
10-5

Friday-Saturday
10-6

Sunday
10-3

These hours are subject to change, so check our website in the top right or call ahead at 510-525-1799.

Precautions

We want everyone to be safe when they shop at Paper Plus, so here are some of the precautions we’re taking and the services we’re offering.

Masks

Shoppers must wear masks when entering the store.

Delivery Services

The balloon-mobile is back in action!

We are offering balloon delivery in some areas, but it’s contingent on many factors.

Your best bet is to call the store at 510-525-1799. We’ll let you know if we can accommodate your balloon request.

Here’s our guide to ordering balloons.

Party Rentals

We’re back at it with our concession machine rentals, which includes nacho cheese machines, cotton candy machines, sno-cone machine, popcorn machines, tables, or chairs. You can still rent our helium balloon tanks as well.

Thank you for supporting us!

We’re proud to be your local party store of choice, and we appreciate you considering us as you consider where to shop for supplies during these challenging times.

Announcing the Paper Plus Grand Reopening

Thursday, May 7th, 2020

Close up of Paper Plus storefront

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Paper Plus has made some changes, both in what we offer and how we offer it. The big news? We’re stocking up on essential items like masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and paper towels. If you can’t find it anywhere else, you can find it here!

Of course, we’re continuing to offer all of the great paper and party supplies that we’ve always offered. Get your supplies for your next home school project, birthday party parade, or crazy Zoom event while you’re here. If you’re tearing your hair out looking for something to keep the kids busy we’ve got quite a few options for you to explore.

Here’s what we’re up to.

New Hours

Starting Saturday, May 9th, our hours will be:

Monday-Thursday
10-5

Friday-Saturday
10-6

Sunday
10-3

These hours are subject to change, so check our website or call ahead at 510-525-1799.

Precautions

We want everyone to be safe when they shop at Paper Plus, so here are some of the precautions we’re taking and services we’re offering.

Doorside Pick-up

Park and come to the door for doorside, contactless pickup. You can call ahead 510-525-1799 and we’ll get everything ready for you.

In-Store Social Distancing

If you prefer to shop in-store then you are welcome. Please maintain at least six feet of distance between you and other customers at all times. Shoppers must wear masks and gloves when entering the store. We will provide you with disposable gloves. Please pull on your gloves as you enter the store and throw them away after loading your items into your car.

Sanitizing

Every basket, door handle, and door will be sanitized regularly. We’re paying attention to every high-touch surface. The baskets will be sanitized before they’re returned to the front so you know you’re getting a clean one from the beginning. We’re also leaving the door open as long as we’re open, so it’s not necessary to touch the door in order to come inside.

Limited Delivery Services

We are offering balloon delivery in some areas, but it’s contingent on many factors.

The balloon-mobile is unavailable because it’s not currently serviceable. We’re sad to see it go!

Your best bet is to call the store at 510-525-1799. We’ll let you know if we can accommodate your balloon request. If we can’t, we’ll still make doorside pickups available to you.

Available Products

As mentioned, we’ve added all sorts of essential products to our store shelves. That means you can pop on down to Paper Plus to find masks and gloves without having to wait days for online delivery. We’ve got three types of masks available, both large and medium size latex gloves, sanitizer, towels, and TP.

Just want to run in and out for those essentials? We’ll have an endcap in the front so you can grab, pay, and go.

Of course, you are also welcome to shop for party and art supplies while you’re here.

Unavailable Products and Services

Right now we’re not offering any machine rentals, which includes nacho cheese machines, cotton candy machines, sno-cones machine, popcorn machines, tables, or chairs. You can still rent our helium balloon tanks.

Thank you for supporting us!

We’re proud to be your local party store of choice, and we appreciate you considering us as you consider where to shop for supplies during these challenging times.

Our Reviews

Paper Plus Outlet