Popular furniture chain confirms 29 spots on the chopping block after bankruptcy filing – see if your store is at risk

A BELOVED furniture chain has officially confirmed that 29 stores are headed for closure following the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in June.

As At Home works to turn around its operations amid industry-wide challenges, shoppers will see their local stores disappear from the map.

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At Home is a popular furniture retailer with more than 260 locations nationwide[/caption]

As part of its bankruptcy process, At Home has laid out plans to shut down 29 “underperforming” stores by September 30.

A number of factors have contributed to the closure notice, including high interest rates, inflation, tariffs, shipping costs, heavy debt, and falling sales.

At Home, which once operated over 260 locations nationwide, is reining in its store footprint, with nearly 30 spots on the chopping block, per court documents and company statements.

The retailer originally announced that 26 locations were at risk, but At Home expanded its list of closures, adding three more and bringing the total to 29.

At Home will shutter stores across 15 states, per court documents, with California being the most impacted.

As the furniture giant gets rid of its underperforming locations, consumers can take advantage of liquidation sales.

Sales up to 50% off are ongoing at the impacted spots and are expected to run until all merchandise, fixtures, and store equipment is sold, or until the stores close on September 30.

At Home has yet to announce if additional locations will shut down as the company continues with its bankruptcy court proceedings.

SHOP FLOPS

At Home, a home décor chain based in Texas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this summer due to “broader economic and retail-specific market pressures.”

The CEO of At Home, Brad Weston, revealed during the company’s June bankruptcy announcement that complications from the trade war had taken a major hit to the furniture chain.

“While we have made significant progress advancing our initiatives to date, we are operating against the backdrop of an increasingly dynamic and rapidly evolving trade environment as we navigate the impact of tariffs,” he said.

Weston also revealed that the Chapter 11 filing was a positive move for the company.

“The steps we are taking today to fully de-lever our balance sheet will improve our ability to compete in the marketplace in the face of continued volatility and increase the resilience of our business for the long term,” said the CEO.

The furniture company’s bankruptcy falls under a wave of restructuring in the retail industry this year, with a so-called retail apocalypse underway and an expected 15,000 store closures.

Popular chains such as Joann Fabrics, Big Lots, and Party City have all filed for bankruptcy in recent months, and department store giants such as Macy’s and JCPenney have also reduced their store footprint.

In addition to high interest rates, persistent inflation, and the current trade war, big-box retailers are facing heightened strain from e-commerce as more and more consumers turn to online shopping.

This trend spiked in the late 1990s and early 2000s and became even more popular in 2020 due to the pandemic, giving brick-and-mortar stores a run for their money.

Malls, a once-popular shopping format, have also taken a hit, with many of these shopping malls struggling and facing closures or even lingering as so-called “zombie malls.”

Also known as ghost malls, these shopping centers are characterized by low customer traffic and high vacancy rates.

One tiny town has taken on their local “zombie mall” that was left in disarray following a slew of closures – Macy’s is one of the last tenants left.

However, ghost malls may be making a major comeback due to some unusual tenants moving in.

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