Party City Holdco Inc. - Quarter Report: 2017 September (Form 10-Q)

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2017

OR

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 001-37344

Party City Holdco Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(914) 345-2020

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

As of November 1, 2017, 119,730,069 shares of the Registrant’s common stock were outstanding.

Table of Contents

PARTY CITY HOLDCO INC.

Form 10-Q

September  30, 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

Table of Contents

PARTY CITY HOLDCO INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share data)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

3

Table of Contents

PARTY CITY HOLDCO INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

4

Table of Contents

PARTY CITY HOLDCO INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

5

Table of Contents

PARTY CITY HOLDCO INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share data)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

6

Table of Contents

PARTY CITY HOLDCO INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

(In thousands)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

7

Table of Contents

PARTY CITY HOLDCO INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share)

Note 1 – Description of Business

Party City Holdco Inc. (the “Company” or “Party City Holdco”) is a vertically integrated supplier of decorated party goods. The Company designs, manufactures, sources and distributes party goods, including paper and plastic tableware, metallic and latex balloons, Halloween and other costumes, accessories, novelties, gifts and stationery throughout the world. The Company’s retail operations include over 900 specialty retail party supply stores (including approximately 150 franchise stores) in the United States and Canada, operating under the names Party City and Halloween City, and e-commerce websites, principally through the domain name PartyCity.com. Party City Holdco franchises both individual stores and franchise areas throughout the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico, principally under the name Party City.

Party City Holdco is a holding company with no operating assets or operations. The Company owns 100% of PC Nextco Holdings, LLC (“PC Nextco”), which owns 100% of PC Intermediate Holdings, Inc. (“PC Intermediate”). PC Intermediate owns 100% of Party City Holdings Inc. (“PCHI”), which owns the Company’s operating subsidiaries.

Note 2 – Basis of Presentation and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned and controlled entities. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

The majority of our retail operations define a fiscal year (“Fiscal Year”) as the 52-week period or 53-week period ended on the Saturday nearest December 31st of each year and define fiscal quarters (“Fiscal Quarter”) as the four interim 13-week periods following the end of the previous Fiscal Year, except in the case of a 53-week Fiscal Year when the fourth Fiscal Quarter is extended to 14 weeks. The condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company combine the Fiscal Quarters of our retail operations with the calendar quarters of our wholesale operations. The Company has determined the differences between the retail operation’s Fiscal Year and Fiscal Quarters and the calendar year and calendar quarters to be insignificant.

Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017. Our business is subject to substantial seasonal variations as our retail segment has realized a significant portion of its net sales, cash flows and net income in the fourth quarter of each year, principally due to its Halloween season sales in October and, to a lesser extent, other year-end holiday sales. We expect that this general pattern will continue. Our results of operations may also be affected by industry factors that may be specific to a particular period such as movement in and the general level of raw material costs. For further information see the consolidated financial statements, and notes thereto, included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2017.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities”. The pronouncement amends the existing hedge accounting model in order to enable entities to better portray the economics of their risk management activities in their financial statements. The update is effective for the Company during the first quarter of 2019. Although the Company continues to evaluate this pronouncement, it does not believe that it will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash”. The pronouncement clarifies how entities should present changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows. The update is effective for the Company during the first quarter of 2018. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of the pronouncement on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows: Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments”. The pronouncement clarifies how entities should classify certain cash receipts and cash payments on the statement of cash flows. The update is effective for the Company during the first quarter of 2018. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of the pronouncement on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

8

Table of Contents

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Compensation – Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. The pronouncement simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions. The Company adopted the pronouncement during the first quarter of 2017 and such adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases”. The ASU requires that companies recognize on their balance sheets assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by the companies’ leases. The update is effective for the Company during the first quarter of 2019. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of the pronouncement on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments – Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”. The update impacts the accounting for equity investments and the recognition of changes in fair value of financial liabilities when the fair value option is elected. The pronouncement will be effective for the Company during the first quarter of 2018. Although the Company continues to evaluate this pronouncement, it does not believe that it will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, “Inventory: Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory”. The update changes the measurement principle for inventory from the lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value. The Company adopted the pronouncement during the first quarter of 2017 and such adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”. The pronouncement contains a five-step model which replaces most existing revenue recognition guidance. The new standard is effective for the Company during the first quarter of 2018. The pronouncement can be applied retrospectively to prior reporting periods or through a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. The Company has decided to adopt the pronouncement using the modified retrospective approach. Although the Company continues to evaluate the pronouncement and it might impact the accounting for certain discounts and rebates within the Company’s wholesale business, the Company does not believe that the pronouncement will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Note 3 – Inventories

Inventories consisted of the following:

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The Company principally determines the cost of inventory using the weighted average method.

The Company estimates retail inventory shortage for the periods between physical inventory dates on a store-by-store basis. Inventory shrinkage estimates can be affected by changes in merchandise mix and changes in actual shortage trends. The shrinkage rate from the most recent physical inventory, in combination with historical experience, is the basis for estimating shrinkage.

Note 4 – Income Taxes

The effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, 34.9%, is lower than the effective rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, 36.9%, principally due to discrete items related to uncertain tax positions, stock option exercises and return-to-provision adjustments. The impact of such items was partially offset by the effect of state tax rate changes on deferred tax liabilities.

9

Table of Contents

Note 5 – Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

The changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss consisted of the following:

10

Table of Contents

Note 6 – Capital Stock

At September 30, 2017, the Company’s authorized capital stock consisted of 300,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value common stock and 15,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value preferred stock.

Note 7 – Segment Information

Industry Segments

The Company has two identifiable business segments. The Wholesale segment designs, manufactures, sources and distributes party goods, including paper and plastic tableware, metallic and latex balloons, Halloween and other costumes, accessories, novelties, gifts and stationery throughout the world. The Retail segment operates specialty retail party supply stores in the United States and Canada, principally under the names Party City and Halloween City, and it operates e-commerce websites, principally through the domain name Partycity.com. The Retail segment also franchises both individual stores and franchise areas throughout the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico, principally under the name Party City. The Company’s industry segment data for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016 was as follows:

11

Table of Contents

The Company’s industry segment data for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016 was as follows:

Note 8 – Commitments and Contingencies

The Company is a party to certain claims and litigation in the ordinary course of business. The Company does not believe these proceedings will result, individually or in the aggregate, in a material adverse effect on its financial condition or future results of operations.

On April 5, 2016, a derivative complaint was filed in the Supreme Court for the State of New York, naming certain directors and executives as defendants, and naming the Company as a nominal defendant. The complaint seeks unspecified damages and costs, and corporate governance reforms, for alleged injury to the Company in connection with public filings related to the Company’s April 2015 IPO, compensation paid to executives, and the termination of the management agreement disclosed in the initial public offering-related public filings. The Company intends to vigorously defend itself against this action. The Company is unable, at this time, to determine whether the outcome of the litigation would have a material impact on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

Note 9 – Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company is directly and indirectly affected by changes in certain market conditions. These changes in market conditions may adversely impact the Company’s financial performance and are referred to as market risks. The Company, when deemed appropriate, uses derivatives as a risk management tool to mitigate the potential impact of certain market risks. The primary market risk managed through the use of derivative financial instruments is foreign currency exchange rate risk.

Foreign Exchange Risk Management

A portion of the Company’s cash flows is derived from transactions denominated in foreign currencies. In order to reduce the uncertainty of foreign exchange rate movements on transactions denominated in foreign currencies, including the British Pound Sterling, the Canadian Dollar, the Euro, the Malaysian Ringgit and the Australian Dollar, the Company enters into foreign exchange contracts with major international financial institutions. These forward contracts, which typically mature within one year, are designed to hedge anticipated foreign currency transactions, primarily inventory purchases and sales. For contracts that qualify for hedge accounting, the terms of the foreign exchange contracts are such that cash flows from the contracts should be highly effective in offsetting the expected cash flows from the underlying forecasted transactions.

12

Table of Contents

The foreign currency exchange contracts are reflected in the condensed consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The fair value of the foreign currency exchange contracts is the estimated amount that the counterparties would receive or pay to terminate the foreign currency exchange contracts at the reporting date, taking into account current foreign exchange spot rates. At September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had certain foreign currency exchange contracts that qualified for hedge accounting. No components of these agreements were excluded in the measurement of hedge effectiveness. As these hedges were 100% effective, there was no impact on earnings due to hedge ineffectiveness. The Company anticipates that substantially all unrealized gains and losses in accumulated other comprehensive loss related to these foreign currency exchange contracts will be reclassified into earnings by June 2018.

The following table displays the fair values of the Company’s derivatives at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016:

The following table displays the notional amounts of the Company’s derivatives at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016:

Note 10 – Fair Value Measurements

The provisions of FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurement”, define fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC Topic 820 established a three-level fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. This hierarchy requires entities to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:

The following table shows assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2017 that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

13

Table of Contents

The following table shows assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2016 that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

In addition to assets and liabilities that are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis, the Company is required to record other assets and liabilities at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, generally as a result of impairment charges. No impairment charges were recorded during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 or the nine months ended September 30, 2016.

The carrying amounts for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximated fair value at September 30, 2017 because of the short-term maturities of the instruments and/or their variable rates of interest.

The carrying amount and fair value of the Company’s borrowings under its senior secured term loan facility (“Term Loan Credit Agreement”) and its $350,000 of 6.125% senior notes (“Senior Notes”) are as follows:

The fair values of the Term Loan Credit Agreement and the Senior Notes represent Level 2 fair value measurements as the debt instruments trade in inactive markets.

The carrying amounts for other long-term debt approximated fair value at September 30, 2017 based on the discounted future cash flows of each instrument at rates currently offered for similar debt instruments of comparable maturity.

During August 2015, the Company acquired 75% of the operations of Accurate Custom Injection Molding Inc. (“ACIM”). Based on the terms of the acquisition agreement, the Company will acquire the remaining 25% interest in ACIM over the next seven years and the Company’s liability for the estimated purchase price of such interest was $0 at September 30, 2017. The liability represents a Level 3 fair value measurement as it is based on unobservable inputs.

During March 2017, the Company acquired 85% of the common stock of Granmark, S.A. de C.V., a Mexican manufacturer and wholesaler of party goods. See Note 13 for further discussion of the acquisition. Based on the terms of the acquisition agreement, the Company is required to acquire the remaining 15% interest over the next five years and it has recorded a liability for the estimated purchase price of such interest, $3,342 at September 30, 2017. The liability represents a Level 3 fair value measurement as it is based on unobservable inputs.

During July 2017, the Company acquired 60% of Print Appeal, Inc. (“Print Appeal”). See Note 13 for further discussion of the acquisition. Based on the terms of the acquisition agreement, the Company will acquire the remaining 40% interest in Print Appeal over the next six years and the Company’s liability for the estimated purchase price of such interest was $2,674 at September 30, 2017. The liability represents a Level 3 fair value measurement as it is based on unobservable inputs.

Note 11 – Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income available for common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share are calculated based on the weighted average number of outstanding common shares plus the dilutive effect of stock options and warrants as if they were exercised.

14

Table of Contents

A reconciliation between basic and diluted income per share is as follows:

During the three months ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, 2,370,106 stock options and 2,276,695 stock options, respectively, were excluded from the calculation of net income per common share – diluted as they were anti-dilutive. Additionally, during the three months ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, 596,000 warrants and 0 warrants, respectively, were excluded from the calculation of net income per common share – diluted as they were anti-dilutive. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, 2,370,106 stock options and 2,276,695 stock options, respectively, were excluded from the calculation of net income per common share – diluted as they were anti-dilutive. Additionally, during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, 596,000 warrants and 0 warrants, respectively, were excluded from the calculation of net income per common share – diluted as they were anti-dilutive.

Note 12 – Long-Term Obligations

Long-term obligations at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 consisted of the following:

15

Table of Contents

Note 13 – Acquisitions

During January 2017, the Company acquired 18 franchise stores, which are located mostly in Louisiana and Alabama, for total consideration of approximately $15,000. The Company is in the process of finalizing purchase accounting.

During March 2017, the Company acquired 85% of the common stock of Granmark, S.A. de C.V. (“Granmark”), a Mexican manufacturer and wholesaler of party goods, for total consideration of approximately $22,000 (exclusive of $5,600 of cash acquired). On the acquisition date, Granmark had $6,456 of debt outstanding under various revolving credit facilities. The majority of the balance was repaid during the first quarter of 2017. The Company is in the process of finalizing purchase accounting. Based on the terms of the acquisition agreement, the Company is required to acquire the remaining 15% interest over a three to five year period and it has recorded a liability for the estimated purchase price of such interest, $3,342 at September 30, 2017.

Also, during March 2017, the Company acquired an additional 18 franchise stores, which are located in North Carolina and South Carolina, for total consideration of approximately $31,000. The Company is in the process of finalizing purchase accounting.

During April 2017, the Company paid approximately $3,500 for a 28% ownership interest in Punchbowl, Inc., a provider of digital greeting cards and digital invitations. The Company is accounting for the investment under the equity method of accounting.

During July 2017, the Company acquired 60% of the common stock of Print Appeal, Inc., a wholesaler of personalized cups, napkins, and other items, for total consideration of approximately $2,800. The Company is in the process of finalizing purchase accounting. Based on the terms of the acquisition agreement, the Company is required to acquire the remaining 40% interest over a four to six year period and it has recorded a liability for the estimated purchase price of such interest, $2,674 at September 30, 2017.

Note 14 – Organizational Restructuring

On March 15, 2017, the Company and its Chairman of the Board of Directors (“the Board”), Gerald Rittenberg, entered into a Transition and Consulting Agreement under which Mr. Rittenberg’s employment as Executive Chairman of the Company terminated effective March 31, 2017. Beginning on April 1, 2017 and continuing through December 31, 2020, unless earlier terminated as provided for in the agreement (the “Consulting Period”), Mr. Rittenberg will serve on a part-time basis as a non-employee senior adviser to the Company. Additionally, Mr. Rittenberg will remain as Chairman of the Board through the end of his existing director term (the Company’s 2018 annual meeting of shareholders) and, subsequently, he will be nominated by the Board to serve as a non-employee member of such Board throughout the remainder of the Consulting Period.

Under the Transition and Consulting Agreement, Mr. Rittenberg will receive payments from April 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017 in amounts equal to his base salary had he remained employed as Executive Chairman during such period (i.e., pay at an annual rate equal to $2,090). Additionally, he will remain eligible to receive an annual bonus for full-year 2017 based on the terms of the Company’s 2017 bonus plan and the terms of his previous employment agreement (a target amount equal to 80% of his 2017 base salary). Further, during 2018, Mr. Rittenberg will receive severance payments aggregating $2,049, which will be made in four equal quarterly installments. Finally, beginning on January 1, 2018 and for the remainder of the Consulting Period, Mr. Rittenberg will receive payments equal to $40 per month in consideration for his consulting services.

Additionally, under the Transition and Consulting Agreement, during the Consulting Period, Mr. Rittenberg’s existing unvested stock options will remain eligible to vest in accordance with their original terms and Mr. Rittenberg’s existing vested stock options will remain outstanding (also, in accordance with their original terms).

As a result of the Transition and Consulting Agreement, the Company recorded a $4,296 severance charge in general and administrative expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2017. Such amount represents: (1) the amount that he will be paid from April 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017 that is above and beyond the fair value ($40 per month) of his consulting services during such period, $1,207, (2) an estimate of his bonus for the period from April 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017, $1,040, and (3) the severance to be paid during 2018, $2,049. Throughout the Consulting Period, the Company will record $40 per month in general and administrative expenses, such amount representing the fair value of his consulting services.

Additionally, as a result of the Transition and Consulting Agreement: (1) allowing Mr. Rittenberg’s existing unvested stock options to continue vesting (such options would have been forfeited had he left the Company) and (2) allowing his existing vested stock options to remain outstanding (had he left the Company, he would have only had 60 days to exercise vested options), during the three months ended March 31, 2017 the Company recorded a $1,362 charge in general and administrative expenses due to the modification of such options.

Also, during the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded a $3,195 severance charge related to the restructuring of its Retail segment. Of such amount, $2,291 was recorded in retail operating expenses and $904 was recorded in general and administrative expenses. The majority of the severance was paid during the second quarter of 2017.

16

Table of Contents

Note 15 – Kazzam, LLC

During the first quarter of 2017, the Company and Ampology, a subsidiary of Trivergence, reached an agreement to form a new legal entity, Kazzam, LLC (“Kazzam”), for the purpose of designing, developing and launching an online exchange platform for party-related services. The website will allow consumers to select, schedule and pay for various services (including entertainment, activities and food) all through a single portal.

Although the Company currently only owns 30% of Kazzam’s equity, the Company has concluded that: a) Kazzam is a variable interest entity as it has insufficient equity at risk and b) the Company is its primary beneficiary. Therefore, the Company has consolidated Kazzam into the Company’s financial statements. Further, as the Company is currently funding all of Kazzam’s start-up activities via a loan to Kazzam (which will be repaid when the venture is profitable), the Company is recording 100% of Kazzam’s operating results in “development stage expenses” in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income.

Additionally, as part of Ampology’s compensation for designing, developing and launching the exchange platform, Ampology has received a 70% ownership interest in Kazzam and a warrant to acquire 596,000 shares of Party City Holdco Inc. stock. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, Kazzam recognized $3,000 of expense related to the fair value of the 70% interest. Additionally, during such period, Kazzam recorded $286 of expense related to the warrant. The amounts were recorded in “development stage expenses” in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income. The 70% interest has been recorded as redeemable securities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as, in the future, Ampology has the right to cause the Company to purchase the interest. The warrant has an exercise price of $15.60 and a fair value of $2,544, which is being amortized over four years.

17

Table of Contents

References throughout this document to the “Company” include Party City Holdco Inc. and its subsidiaries. In this document the words “we,” “our,” “ours” and “us” refer only to the Company and its subsidiaries and not to any other person.

Business Overview

Our Company

We are the leading party goods retailer by revenue in North America and, we believe, the largest vertically integrated supplier of decorated party goods globally by revenue. With over 900 locations (inclusive of approximately 150 franchised stores), we have the only coast-to-coast network of party superstores in the U.S. and Canada that make it easy and fun to enhance special occasions with a differentiated shopping experience and an unrivaled assortment of innovative and exciting merchandise offered at a compelling value. We also operate multiple e-commerce sites, principally under the domain name PartyCity.com, and during the Halloween selling season we open a network of approximately 250 - 300 temporary stores under the Halloween City banner.

In addition to our retail operations, we are also one of the largest global designers, manufacturers and distributors of decorated party supplies, with products found in over 40,000 retail outlets worldwide, including independent party supply stores, mass merchants, grocery retailers and dollar stores. Our products are available in over 100 countries with the United Kingdom (“U.K.”), Germany, Mexico and Australia among the largest end markets for our products outside of the U.S..

During the first quarter of 2017, the Company and Ampology, a subsidiary of Trivergence, reached an agreement to form a new legal entity for the purpose of designing, developing and launching an online exchange platform for party-related services. The website will allow consumers to select, schedule and pay for various services (including entertainment, activities and food) all through a single portal.

How We Assess the Performance of Our Company

In assessing the performance of our company, we consider a variety of performance and financial measures for our two operating segments, Retail and Wholesale. These key measures include revenues and gross profit, comparable retail same-store sales and operating expenses. We also review other metrics such as adjusted net income (loss), adjusted net income (loss) per common share – diluted and adjusted EBITDA. For a discussion of our use of these measures and a reconciliation of adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), please refer to “Financial Measures—Adjusted EBITDA,” “Financial Measures—Adjusted Net Income (Loss)” and “Financial Measures—Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share – Diluted” below.

Segments

Our retail operations generate revenue primarily through the sale of Amscan, Designware, Anagram, Costumes USA and other party supplies through Party City, Halloween City and PartyCity.com. During 2016, approximately 77% of the product that was sold by our retail operations was supplied by our wholesale operations.

Our wholesale revenues are generated from the sale of party goods for all occasions, including paper and plastic tableware, accessories and novelties, costumes, metallic and latex balloons and stationery. Our products are sold at wholesale to party goods superstores, including our franchise stores, other party goods retailers, mass merchants, independent card stores, dollar stores and other retailers and distributors throughout the world.

Intercompany sales between the Wholesale and the Retail segment are eliminated, and the wholesale profits on intercompany sales are deferred and realized at the time the merchandise is sold to the retail consumer. For segment reporting purposes, certain general and administrative expenses and art and development costs are allocated based on total revenues.

18

Table of Contents

Financial Measures

Revenues. Revenues from retail store operations are recognized at point of sale. We estimate future retail sales returns and record a provision in the period in which the related sales are recorded based on historical information. E-commerce sales are recorded on a FOB destination basis and include shipping revenues. Retail sales are reported net of taxes collected. Franchise royalties are recognized based on reported franchise retail sales. Additionally, fees paid by franchisees when franchise stores are opened are recognized upon the completion of our performance requirements and the opening of the franchise store.

Revenues from our wholesale operations represent the sale of our products to third parties, less rebates, discounts and other allowances. The terms of our wholesale sales are generally FOB shipping point, and revenue is recognized when goods are shipped. We estimate reductions to revenues for volume-based rebate programs and subsequent credits at the time sales are recognized. Intercompany sales from our wholesale operations to our retail stores are eliminated in our consolidated total revenues.

Comparable Retail Same-Store Sales. The growth in same-store sales represents the percentage change in same-store sales in the period presented compared to the prior year. Same-store sales exclude the net sales of a store for any period if the store was not open during the same period of the prior year. Acquired stores are excluded from same-store sales until they are converted to the Party City format and included in our sales for the comparable period of the prior year. Comparable sales are calculated based upon stores that were open at least thirteen full months as of the end of the applicable reporting period. When a store is reconfigured or relocated within the same general territory, the store continues to be treated as the same store. If, during the period presented, a store was closed, sales from that store up to and including the closing day are included as same-store sales as long as the store was open during the same period of the prior year. Same-store sales for the Party City brand include North American retail e-commerce sales.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales at wholesale reflects the production costs (i.e., raw materials, labor and overhead) of manufactured goods and the direct cost of purchased goods, inventory shrinkage at both retail and wholesale, inventory adjustments, inbound freight to our manufacturing and distribution facilities, distribution costs and outbound freight to get goods to our wholesale customers. At retail, cost of sales reflects the direct cost of goods purchased from third parties and the production or purchase costs of goods acquired from our wholesale operations. Retail cost of sales also includes inventory shrinkage, inventory adjustments, inbound freight, occupancy costs related to store operations (such as rent and common area maintenance, utilities and depreciation on assets) and all logistics costs associated with our retail e-commerce business.

Our cost of sales increases in higher volume periods as the direct costs of manufactured and purchased goods, inventory shrinkage and freight are generally tied to net sales. However, other costs are largely fixed or vary based on other factors and do not necessarily increase as sales volume increases. Changes in the mix of our products may also impact our overall cost of sales. The direct costs of manufactured and purchased goods are influenced by raw material costs (principally paper, petroleum-based resins and cotton), domestic and international labor costs in the countries where our goods are purchased or manufactured and logistics costs associated with transporting our goods. We monitor our inventory levels on an on-going basis in order to identify slow-moving goods.

Wholesale Selling Expenses. Wholesale selling expenses include the costs associated with our wholesale sales and marketing efforts, including merchandising and customer service. Costs include the salaries and benefits of the related work force, including sales-based bonuses and commissions. Other costs include catalogues, showroom rent, travel and other operating costs. Certain selling expenses, such as sales-based bonuses and commissions, vary in proportion to sales, while other costs vary based on other factors, such as our marketing efforts, or are largely fixed and do not necessarily increase as sales volumes increase.

Retail Operating Expenses. Retail operating expenses include all of the costs associated with retail store operations, excluding occupancy-related costs included in cost of sales. Costs include store payroll and benefits, advertising, supplies and credit card costs. Retail expenses are largely variable but do not necessarily vary in proportion to net sales.

Franchise Expenses. Franchise expenses include the costs associated with operating our franchise network, including salaries and benefits of the administrative work force and other administrative costs. These expenses generally do not vary proportionally with royalties and franchise fees.

General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses include all operating costs not included elsewhere in the statement of operations and comprehensive income (loss). These expenses include payroll and other expenses related to operations at our corporate offices, including occupancy costs, related depreciation and amortization, legal and professional fees and data-processing costs. These expenses generally do not vary proportionally with net sales.

19

Table of Contents

Art and Development Costs. Art and development costs include the costs associated with art production, creative development and product management. Costs include the salaries and benefits of the related work force. These expenses generally do not vary proportionally with net sales.

Development Stage Expenses. Represents start-up activities related to Kazzam, LLC. See footnote 15 of the consolidated financial statements in Item 1 for further discussion.

Adjusted EBITDA. We define EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest expense, net, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA, as further adjusted to eliminate the impact of certain items that we do not consider indicative of our core operating performance. We caution investors that amounts presented in accordance with our definition of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other issuers, because not all issuers calculate Adjusted EBITDA in the same manner. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is an appropriate measure of operating performance in addition to EBITDA because we believe it assists investors in comparing our performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by eliminating the impact of items that we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance. In addition, we use Adjusted EBITDA: (i) as a factor in determining incentive compensation, (ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies, and (iii) because the credit facilities use Adjusted EBITDA to measure compliance with certain covenants.

Adjusted Net Income (Loss). Adjusted net income (loss) represents our net income (loss), adjusted for, among other items, intangible asset amortization, non-cash purchase accounting adjustments, amortization of deferred financing costs and original issue discounts, refinancing charges, equity based compensation and impairment charges. We present adjusted net income because we believe it assists investors in comparing our performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by eliminating the impact of items that we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance.

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share – Diluted. Adjusted net income (loss) per common share – diluted represents adjusted net income (loss) divided by the Company’s diluted weighted average common shares outstanding. We present the metric because we believe it assists investors in comparing our per share performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by eliminating the impact of items that we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance.

Results of Operations

Three Months Ended September 30, 2017 Compared To Three Months Ended September 30, 2016

The following table sets forth the Company’s operating results and operating results as a percentage of total revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.

20

Table of Contents

Revenues

Total revenues for the third quarter of 2017 were $560.1 million and were $3.2 million, or 0.6%, higher than the third quarter of 2016. The following table sets forth the Company’s total revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.

Retail

Retail net sales during the third quarter of 2017 were $364.1 million and increased $16.5 million, or 4.7%, compared to the third quarter of 2016. Retail net sales at our Party City stores totaled $324.8 million and were $19.2 million, or 6.3%, higher than 2016 as franchise store acquisitions and new store growth were partially offset by negative same-store sales (see below for further detail). During the twelve months ended September 30, 2017, we acquired 36 franchise stores and 1 independent store, opened 28 new stores and closed 8 stores. Global retail e-commerce sales totaled $34.1 million during the third quarter of 2017 and were $1.7 million, or 4.7%, lower than during the corresponding quarter of 2016. The North American e-commerce sales that are included in our Party City brand comp decreased by 9.9% during the third quarter (see below for further detail). Sales at our temporary Halloween City stores were $5.2 million during the third quarter of 2017 or $1.0 million lower than the corresponding quarter of 2016 due, in part, to stores opening later than last year.

Same-store sales for the Party City brand (including North American retail e-commerce sales) decreased by 2.6% during the third quarter of 2017, principally due to the adverse effects of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which negatively impacted brand comp sales by approximately 140 basis points.

Excluding the impact of e-commerce, same-store sales decreased by 1.8% as a 2.2% decrease in transaction count was partially offset by a 0.4% increase in average transaction dollar size. Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma adversely impacted same-store sales by approximately 130 basis points.

The North American retail e-commerce sales included in our Party City brand comp decreased by 9.9% due to a 9.1% decrease in transaction count and a 0.8% decrease in average transaction dollar size. Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma adversely impacted the percentage by approximately 140 basis points. The remainder of the decrease in transaction count reflects lower traffic as customer conversion levels were consistent with the corresponding quarter of the prior year. The decrease in average transaction dollar size was principally due to increased promotional activity as units per transaction increased by approximately 3% versus the third quarter of 2016.

Same-store sales percentages were not affected by foreign currency as such percentages are calculated in local currency.

Wholesale

Wholesale net sales during the third quarter of 2017 totaled $193.3 million and were $12.5 million, or 6.1%, lower than the third quarter of 2016. Net sales to domestic party goods retailers and distributors (including our franchisee network) totaled $80.8 million and were $18.3 million, or 18.5%, lower than during 2016. The decrease was partially due to our acquisition of 36 franchise stores during the first quarter of 2017; as post-acquisition sales to such stores (approximately $10 million during the third quarter of 2016) are now eliminated as intercompany sales. Additionally, sales to existing franchisees decreased versus the corresponding quarter of 2016, principally due to carryover inventory from the 2016 Halloween selling season. Further, gift product sales decreased by approximately $1 million due to the continued de-emphasis and product-line refinement of our Grasslands Road gift business. Net sales of metallic balloons to domestic distributors and retailers (including our franchisee network) totaled $19.2 million during the third quarter of 2017 and were $0.7 million, or 3.8%, higher than during the corresponding quarter of 2016. Our international sales

21

Table of Contents

(which include U.S. export sales and exclude U.S. import sales from foreign subsidiaries) totaled $93.3 million and were $5.1 million, or 5.8%, higher than in 2016. Our growth was largely driven by the acquisition of Granmark S.A. de C.V. (“Granmark”) in Q1 of this year, as well as continued strong performance in the U.K. and German markets.

Intercompany sales to our retail affiliates totaled $188.6 million during the third quarter of 2017 and were $22.0 million, or 10.4%, lower than during the corresponding quarter of 2016. Intercompany sales represented 49.4% of total wholesale sales during the third quarter of 2017, compared to 50.6% during 2016. The decrease in intercompany sales was due to carryover inventory from the 2016 Halloween selling season. The intercompany sales of our wholesale segment are eliminated against the intercompany purchases of our retail segment in the consolidated financial statements.

Royalties and franchise fees

Royalties and franchise fees for the third quarter of 2017 totaled $2.8 million and were $0.8 million lower than during the third quarter of 2016 principally due to the acquisition of 36 franchise stores during the first quarter of 2017.

Gross Profit

The following table sets forth the Company’s gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016.

The gross profit margin on net sales at retail during the third quarter of 2017 was 38.8%. Such percentage was 50 basis points higher than during the third quarter of 2016. The benefits of increased share of shelf (i.e., the percentage of our retail product cost of sales supplied by our wholesale operations) and reduced product costs were partially offset by increased promotional activities. Our wholesale share of shelf at our Party City stores and our North American retail e-commerce operations increased from 75.1% during the third quarter of 2016 to 78.0% during the third quarter of 2017.

The gross profit on net sales at wholesale during 2017 and 2016 was 30.3% and 30.9%, respectively. The decrease was principally due to sales mix (including increased international sales) and de-leveraging of our fixed distribution costs due to the lower overall sales levels.

Operating expenses

Wholesale selling expenses were $16.3 million during the third quarter of 2017 and $14.7 million during the corresponding quarter of 2016. The increase was due to approximately $1.5 million of selling costs at Granmark (acquired in March 2017). Wholesale selling expenses were 8.4% and 7.2% of net wholesale sales during the third quarters of 2017 and 2016, respectively. See above for a discussion of the decrease in net wholesale sales.

Retail operating expenses during the third quarter of 2017 were $100.7 million and were principally consistent with the third quarter of 2016. The impact of the higher store count (discussed above) was offset by further realized savings associated with improved labor productivity and efficiency in our stores and slightly lower advertising costs. Retail operating expenses were 27.7% and 29.0% of net retail sales during the third quarters of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Franchise expenses during the third quarters of 2017 and 2016 were $3.6 million and $3.4 million, respectively.

General and administrative expenses during the third quarter of 2017 totaled $38.0 million and were $1.0 million, or 2.6%, lower than in the third quarter of 2016. Lower executive compensation was partially offset by inflationary cost increases. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 6.8% and 7.0% during the third quarters of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Art and development costs were $5.9 million and $5.5 million during the third quarters of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

22

Table of Contents

Development stage expenses represent start-up costs related to Kazzam (see footnote 15 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for further detail).

Interest expense, net

Interest expense, net, totaled $23.2 million during the third quarter of 2017, compared to $22.4 million during the third quarter of 2016. The increase principally relates to adjustments to the Company’s minority interest liabilities for Print Appeal and ACIM (see footnote 10 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for further detail). The adjustments were partially offset by the impact of a $100 million prepayment of the Company’s Term Loan Credit Agreement during the Company’s October 2016 refinancing; as well as the impact of the credit spread on such debt being reduced by 25 basis points at such time.

Other expense (income), net

For the third quarter of 2017, other expense, net, totaled $0.6 million.

For the third quarter of 2016, other income, net, totaled $0.9 million. Such amount principally represented foreign currency transaction gains.

Income tax expense

The effective income tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2017, 25.7%, is lower than the effective rate for the three months ended September 30, 2016, 33.9%, principally due to discrete items related to uncertain tax positions, stock option exercises and return-to-provision adjustments. The impact of such items was partially offset by the effect of state tax rate changes on deferred tax liabilities.

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 Compared To Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016

The following table sets forth the Company’s operating results and operating results as a percentage of total revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.

23

Table of Contents

Revenues

Total revenues for the first nine months of 2017 were $1,582.0 million and were $47.9 million, or 3.1%, higher than the corresponding period of 2016. The following table sets forth the Company’s total revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.