Party City, the retail purveyor of party favors, paper plates, pinatas and more, has a new CEO at the helm.

Party City Holdco Inc. announced that Barry Litwin will be joining the company as its new president and chief executive officer. Litwin previously had spent six years as the CEO of Global Industrial Company, a leading distributor of industrial products. He replaces Brad Weston, who left the company after four years as CEO, a period that included the pandemic and bankruptcy, and now helms the home furnishings retailer At Home.

Litwin will be tasked with leading the company on a profitable path after emerging from bankruptcy in 2023. He has previous turnaround experience from his time as CEO at camera retailer Adorama.

Party City Holdings is No. 311 in the Top 1000. The Top 1000 Database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers by web sales. There, it falls under the Specialty category. Digital Commerce 360 projects Party City’s web sales in 2024 will reach $272.3 million.

Party City web sales by year

New Party City CEO’s priorities

Party City’s decision to hire Litwin was met with enthusiasm by its board.

“We are extremely confident that Barry’s expertise in fostering business growth and transformation as well as his people-focused leadership style will bring Party City to the next level,” said Bob Hull, chairman of the board at Party City.

However, industry experts say Litwin will face many challenges in his new role.

“The challenges will be immense, not just from a reputational perspective, but also from ecommerce competition,” says Katelyn Daniell a retail analyst and co-founder of the survey tool Precision Retail.

“On the reputation side, Party City needs to balance its big-box store image with supporting the community it serves, all the while building back up from bankruptcy,” Daniell said. “The new CEO has to manage Party City’s reputation carefully.”

She added that the company needs better data to determine who its core customers are, whether they are simply looking for the lowest price or deeper levels of engagement.

Jennifer Silverberg, CEO of the marketing data platform SmartCommerce, agreed that Party City faces important decisions ahead.

“Party City must differentiate itself through exclusive offerings and unique shopping experiences to stand out,” Silverberg said. “It will have to embrace new categories of shopping like quick commerce to play into the desire for convenience.”

Litwin’s perspective arriving at Party City

“I am excited to join Party City at a pivotal time as we reposition the business for a stronger future,” Litwin said in a statement released with Party City’s announcement. “Party City is a leader in party goods and supplies, and I see many opportunities to strengthen our financial performance and build a leading end-to-end celebration experience for consumers.”

Party City operates more than 750 company-owned and franchise stores. It also includes design and manufacturing entity Amscan, an industry leader in celebration décor, tableware, costumes and accessories.

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