US retail chain Party City has announced that its preliminary brand comparable sales results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 are expected to be down 3%.
“Our preliminary fiscal 2019 brand comparable sales are at the low end of our outlook,” commented ceo James M. Harrison. “While disappointed with our full year brand comparable sales result, we are encouraged by the initial bounce back we’ve continued to see in our helium-related categories at retail given our ~100% in-stock position.”
He continued: “As we look ahead, we continue to focus on returning the business to positive comparable sales growth through improved in-store initiatives and an enhanced e-commerce platform as we leverage our differentiated vertical model.”
These are preliminary figures for 2019, while Party City completes its normal year-end closing and accounting procedures. Full financial and operating results for Party City’s Q4 and full year will be released on March 12, 2020.