Long time appliance chain shutters doors, files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

If you’re old enough to recall Howard’s Appliance back in its heyday, you might be interested to know that the chain has suddenly shuttered all its Southern California locations and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.And so soon after Black Friday, which puts recent customers who’ve made a purchase in a pickle.“Despite our best efforts to overcome tariffs, declines in consumer spending, and other macroeconomic challenges — we have made the difficult decision to file for bankruptcy and close our doors,” David Goodrich with the law firm Golden Goodrich in Costa Mesa shared with the Southern California News Group. “This was not a decision made lightly, but one that became necessary given the current economic landscape.”Not only was the move quick, it also took employees by surprise because there was only a day’s notice for them with no prior public warning.In addition, absolutely nothing was told to customers, ot even the ones who might’ve had orders in place, according to the Orange County Register.“The notice, signed by Isaiah Padilla, the logistics general manager for Howard’s, said the company was closing its business operations, effective Dec. 6, due to ‘circumstances beyond our control,’” the publication reported.The shutdown affects the company’s 17 locations across Southern California.The sudden closure of stores sparked a monumental buzz on social media, as some customers who’ve ordered big ticket items from the chain might have a hard time getting their purchases.“My parent just ordered a new range from Howard’s and then saw this morning that they are all closing? They haven’t received the range yet, and apparently, all the stores are closing as of tomorrow. My mom called four different stores, and no one is picking up,” one user wrote on Reddit.Another Reddit user confirmed the appliance chain’s shutdown.“After reading this, I hurried to their store in Tustin because we have had numerous issues with them since our order four months ago. Still, we’re awaiting a few pieces. Lights off, only a closed sign, and the hours of operation were scrubbed off the window,” helloninterwebs3 wrote.In the past, Howard’s Appliance had shuttered its Upland, California store back in Sept. 16, 2020, due to weak sales, poor local retail conditions, and a focus on investing in more favorable locations, per a press release.Read the original article on pennlive.com.