LOS ANGELES — Z Gallerie, which recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the third time, has begun marking down its merchandise and closing its stores.

The contemporary furniture and home furnishings retailer engaged B. Riley Retail Solutions as its retail consultant to conduct the closing sales across the company’s 21 stores. All inventory, which includes furniture, lighting, home décor and bedding, is being marked down — starting at 40% — in connection with the event.

The retailer, which is owned by CSC Generation Holdings Inc., and does business as part of DirectBuy Home Improvement Inc., filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of New Jersey last week. CSC bought DirectBuy/ZGallerie out of bankruptcy in July 2019 for $20.3 million.

The limited-time event covers stores in nine states. Z Gallerie currently has five stores in California; seven in Florida; three in Texas; and one each Atlanta, suburban Chicago, Las Vegas, Maryland, New York and New Jersey.

“This is a unique opportunity to buy high-end, quality home décor at deeply discounted prices,” said Tim Shilling, executive vice president of B. Riley Retail Solutions.

Sales are final, although consumers who purchased Z Gallerie merchandise before Oct. 24 can still make returns with a receipt. The company is honoring Z Gallerie gift cards through Nov. 15.

See also:

• What happens when a company declares bankruptcy in 2023? M&A expert weighs in
• Mitchell Gold Co. files chapter 11 bankruptcy

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WINCHENDON, Mass. — Winchendon Furniture here is closing after 84 years of business across three generations of family ownership.

Liquidation will begin Oct. 12, and the showroom building is for sale. The sell-off event features brands such as Stressless, Hancock & Moore, Howard Miller, Hekman, Copeland and Hickory Craft.

Winchendon Furniture is run by Joe Ladeau, Ryan Ladeau and Keith Ladeau, second and third generation owners of the family business. Along with Glenn Hunt, long-time office manager, the Ladeaus have played a crucial role in stewarding Winchendon Furniture’s legacy of high-quality furniture for the home and exemplary service.

“This community has shown our family unwavering support since the day my father opened the doors of his business in 1939. It has been truly rewarding to serve the people of Winchendon and to promote the community’s name throughout New England,” said Joe Ladeau.

Richard Ladeau, Joe’s father, founded the company as Winchendon Custom Upholstery Co, Inc. in 1939. He first developed an interest in furniture while working for his father, George, at a furniture manufacturing company. Richard upholstered dining chairs for local factories and built a reputation for quality reupholstering.

In 1943, Richard bought the building at 13 Railroad St. and expanded his business to include antique restoration. Two years later, his brother Frank returned home from World War II and became his partner in the business, which gradually transitioned from upholstering and antique restoration to selling high-quality brand name furniture lines.

After Richard’s death in 1972, his sons, Joe and Jack, purchased their father’s half of the business from Frank. Six years later, they purchased Frank’s half, and in 1980 changed the name of the company to Winchendon Furniture. Together, the brothers expanded the business to stores in Amherst and Keene, N.H. The Amherst and Keene stores have previously closed.

Drawing on Winchendon’s natural resources and history of skilled craftsmanship, Winchendon Furniture earned a reputation for selling all-wood furniture, handmade in the United States, which the store still carries along with a vast assortment of other top-of-line products.

Winchendon Furniture has been a contributing member of the community as much as it has been a key business. Joe Ladeau was a trustee of Winchendon School for 25 years, a member of the board of directors at the YMCA for 15 years and served on the Board of Selectmen for the town of Winchendon.

See also:

• 9 retailers that will close (or have closed) in 2023
• Family-owned Texas retailer to close final 2 stores after 78-year run

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HIGH POINT — Times are tough at the retail level for purveyors of home furnishings.

The sales snapshots produced by the Department of Commerce tell that story monthly, and retailers report traffic has sagged. While average tickets are up and the shoppers who do visit usually pull the trigger on a purchase, the demand isn’t what it was as recently as last year.

Many retailers are deciding now is a good time to get out, some due to retirement with no succession plan in place, while others were due to the state of business. Here’s a look at some:

On Sept. 19, Louis Shanks Furniture in Austin, Texas, announced that it is working with Planned Furniture Promotions to handle the going out of business process and will close its last two stores, in its hometown and in San Antonio.

Earlier this month, Hatboro, Pa.-based Gamburg’s Furniture announced that it is going out of business after 94 years and four generations, as owners Sidney and Joyce Gamburg are retiring.

While it might not have made the decision on its own, furniture manufacturer and Top 100 retailer Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams closed, laid off all workers and is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings after its funding was cut off in August. Calls to multiple retail locations went straight to an automated system, which funneled callers to a call center.

The closing brick-and-mortar chapter for Bed Bath & Beyond was written earlier this year, as it went into bankruptcy and closed all of its stores. However, its intellectual assets were acquired by Overstock.com, which has since rebranded its online presence to Bed Bath & Beyond.

In May, Furniture Today reported on a trio of stores that were closing, including 123-year-old Rominger’s Southern Furniture Co. of Winston-Salem, N.C.; West Fargo, N.D.’s Furniture for Less; and Sofas Unlimited of Hampden Township, Pa.

Roesing Furniture, a fourth-generation retailer that had been in business since 1902, announced in January that it was closing as owner Bob Roesing was retiring.

And while it made the announcement that it was going out of business in November, leaders from Top 100 retailer Weekends Only indicated that they expected the going-out-of-business sales to go into early 2023. Recently, a former Weekends Only facility was purchased and reoutfitted to be a showroom and distribution center by Mueller Furniture.

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AUSTIN, Texas — Louis Shanks Furniture will begin the going out of business process this week after 78 years in business.

The Austin, Texas-based retailer has been family-owned and operated for four generations and has stores in its hometown and in San Antonio. An independent, regional retailer became nationally recognized by the industry and its customers for its fine furniture selection and impeccably vignetted showrooms. Four generations of the family have contributed to the longevity of Louis Shanks Furniture and maintained the ideals that Louis Shanks founded the stores with almost 80 years ago.

Louis Shanks got his start in the furniture industry as a factory representative for Kroehler Manufacturing Co. His retail journey began when he moved his young family to Austin in 1945 and partnered with John Stanford to open the Fourth and Congress store in downtown Austin. Five years later, that partnership dissolved, and he founded Shanks-Meyers with new business partner Harry Meyers.

Shanks bought out Meyers in 1954 to become Louis Shanks Furniture on Lamar Boulevard. A growing market led to continuous expansions that began with converting the historic Hitchin’ Post Restaurant into additional showroom space in 1960; a second store on Anderson Lane in 1974; and entry into the San Antonio market in 1983.

In 1995, new locations opened in Houston and Sugarland, paving the way for Louis Shanks’ debut in Furniture Today’s Top 100 rankings at No. 77 in 1996. It rose to No. 69 just two years later.

The going out of business sale begins Sept. 21 in Austin at 2930 W. Anderson Lane, and in San Antonio at 11035 IH10 West at Huebner. Furniture promotional sales specialists Planned Furniture Promotions is handling all liquidation details and events across the two stores with a combined 200,000 square feet of merchandise.

“We are honored to be part of this historic moment as we assist Louis Shanks Furniture, an iconic institution in the furniture industry, with their final and most significant sale,” said Tom Liddell, senior vice president. “This is a celebration of their decades of excellence and an extraordinary opportunity for consumers in the Austin and San Antonio areas to experience the legacy of Louis Shanks Furniture one last time. This marks the end of an era, and we at PFP are thrilled they have entrusted us with this pivotal project.”

See also:

• Fourth-generation Pennsylvania retailer to close shop when owners retire
• An intent to reinvent Louis Shanks refocuses

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TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — Home furnishings manufacturer and retailer Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams closed its doors Saturday and has notified employees of the layoff.

According to a story in the Taylorsville Times, signs were posted on the truck gate and office door of the company’s Taylorsville plant on Aug. 26 announcing the immediate closing as well as the closing of the company’s Hiddenite and Statesville, N.C., plants. Employees were instructed that they should not report to work Monday, Aug. 28, and remote workers were instructed to forgo logging in.

Interim CEO Chris Moye began his leadership role with the company on April 21. According to the Times article, a letter from Moye was also posted on the office door along with the announcement of the closings.

“The purpose of this letter is to provide you with official notice under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN).

“As you may know, the current economic climate has presented significant challenges to the furniture industry. While we have been buoyed by the support of our wonderful employees, like yourself, The Mitchell Gold Co. d/b/a Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (the “company”) has recently and unexpectedly learned that we are unable to secure critical financing to continue business operations. In the wake of this unfortunate development, the company will sadly need to wind down operations and terminate the employment of our employees beginning on Aug. 26, 2023. Because these events were unforeseen, we were unable to provide you and others with more notice of this difficult decision.

“Your position will be affected by these events, and your last day of employment with the company is expected to be on Oct. 25, 2023, unless you are asked to perform additional services during the 14-day period from that date (or your layoff date is otherwise revised from that date). We are sorry to have to bring you this news.”

Furniture Today has reached out to Mitchell Gold for comment and will update this story as it develops.

See also:

• Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams appoints interim CEO 
• Made in America: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams promotes latest collection with A-list designer

The post Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams latest North Carolina furniture maker to shutdown abruptly appeared first on Furniture Today.

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Australian furniture brand Coco Republic is debuting the extensive remodel of its 42,000-square-foot store here with a three-day grand opening celebration, while at the same time winding down business at its San Francisco flagship.

The company, which is focused on expanding U.S. access to its Australian lifestyle brand, revamped its HD Buttercup location at SOCO and The OC Mix, an interior design center in Southern California’s Orange County to feature the Coco Republic line.

A new addition to the showroom is a patio area to showcase Coco Republic’s outdoor furnishings. The entire space was given “a more coastal vibe” with an oak entry and wood floors to appeal to the coastal Orange County shopper.

Along with the renovated Orange County site, Coco Republic recently became the anchor at the HD Buttercup Design Center in Culver City, Calif., which also serves as the U.S. corporate office for Coco Republic. But the company is in the process of shuttering its three-level, 53,000-square-foot San Francisco store in Union Square with a closing sale, less than year after opening it.

Skye Westcott, U.S. president of Coco Republic, told Furniture Today “it was an extremely difficult decision” to close in San Francisco. “Since we opened the traffic has not been what we hoped in such an amazing area of the city,” she said.

Despite support from local neighborhood customers, “we need the west, east and south of the city customers to come into the city and shop. The stores around us have been closing at a rapid pace, and less and less customers have been coming in to shop for their home,” she said.

Although Wescott didn’t reference the reason for the increase in vacancies, San Francisco has been dealing with a growing issue with homelessness downtown, along with a lack of office workers post-pandemic, which has prompted major retailers such as CB2, Whole Foods and Nordstrom to leave. Williams-Sonoma also announced plans to exit Union Square in 2024.

“The vacancies around us make it a less-than-desirable place for anyone outside of the neighborhood to come in to shop,” said Westcott. “There are still many tourists, but the home category is not what sells to tourists.”

Coco Republic will continue to service its trade and design clientele in San Francisco virtually through their own portal on the company’s new website and via house calls, she said, adding “we hope in the future to be back in the Bay area with a location.”

See also:

• 3 ways Australian lifestyle brand Coco Republic is raising its U.S. profile
• Coco Republic launches ‘store as a service’ design center in L.A. area

The post Coco Republic: A store opening, a closing and a reflection on the latter appeared first on Furniture Today.

HIGH POINT — A trio of furniture stores recently announced plans to close, including one that had been in business for more than 120 years.

In Winston-Salem, N.C., 123-year-old Rominger’s Southern Furniture Co. launched a going out of business auction, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

The Journal reported that the chief reason for the store’s closure is third-generation owner Sally Bet Gehman passed away in 2022, and her daughter, who lives in Texas, didn’t wish to continue the business. It had problems due to mandatory closings and supply chain constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furniture for Less, which has been in business for 25 years in West Fargo, N.D., is ending its run as owners Darrell Hanson and Barry Sundie retire, according to reports from Inforum.

The store is in the midst of a retirement sale with deep discounts and will close once it is out of inventory. It might remain open beyond, however, if a buyer for the business is found.

And after 31 years in business, Hampden Township, Pa.’s Sofas Unlimited is in the middle of a going-out-of-business sale that began earlier this year, according to WHTM.

Owner Jack Lashay, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, has no successor in his family to take over the business, and its building was sold to new owners.

See also:

• New year starts with bankruptcies, closings and layoffs
• 5 retailers that will say goodbye in 2022

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SAN FRANCISCO — Australian furniture brand Coco Republic is closing its store in Union Square less than a year after its opening, citing an increasingly difficult retail environment in downtown San Francisco.

The retailer is conducting a closing sale at its three-level, 53,000-square-foot flagship design showroom to eliminate its on-site inventory.

“We invested extraordinary time and capital in our initial U.S. flagship store in Union Square,” said Anthony Spon-Smith, Coco Republic’s creative director and founder based in Sydney. “Less than six months from opening, we could not be more disappointed to be shuttering this flagship location. … But ultimately, the safety and well-being of our customers and employees is our highest priority.”

San Francisco has been struggling with issues related to homelessness and public safety in its downtown, which has decreased foot traffic and customers and made it difficult for retail operators. In its statement, the company said despite taking numerous precautions in and around the store, it couldn’t keep the location open.

“In the immediate term, we will continue to service San Francisco residents online and provide full-service commercial sales support,” said Skye Westcott, U.S. president of Coco Republic. “We love the Bay area and hope to be back if conditions improve in the years ahead.”

Coco Republic has a store at the 100,000-square-foot HD Buttercup Design Center in Culver City, Calif., and a newly remodeled Coco Republic is opening later this month in Orange County. It is also launching a new e-commerce platform this month.

See also:

• 3 ways Australian lifestyle brand Coco Republic is raising its U.S. profile
• Australian lifestyle brand on U.S. launch: San Francisco ‘getting its mojo back’

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NEW YORK – The slow-rolling demise of Sears as a brick-and-mortar retailer is inching forward as the nameplate pulls out of one of the few states where it still has a physical presence.

The last Sears store in North Carolina, located in the Friendly Center in Greensboro, is going dark. Sears has been an anchor tenant at the outdoor mall, along with Macy’s and Belk department stores.

Once the closing is complete, there will be just 17 Sears stores left in operation, according to the U.S. Sun: three each in Florida and California, two in Texas, and one each in Kansas, Virginia, Washington, New Jersey, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

When investor Eddie Lampert announced the merger of Sears and Kmart in March 2005, the Sears Holding Company (now defunct) operated nearly 3,500 Sears and Kmart stores. Today, Sears and Kmart exist primarily as online retailers.

See also:

• Myriad factors contribute to bankruptcy filing by Sears Hometown Stores
• Sears Holdings creditors may finally get a payday via new settlement agreement

The post Dwindling number of Sears stores dwindles further appeared first on Furniture Today.

WATERFORD, Wis. — In 120 years in business, Roesing Furniture carved out its own niche as an old-school family retailer. That run is coming to an end this year, as Bob Roesing, fourth generation owner, is retiring.

“We’ve run it as a nice family-run store. Service when we need it, staying up with major brands and doing the right thing,” Roesing told Furniture Today. “If you’ve got problems, fix them. We had old-school values, doing things the way I was brought up to do it.”

The family-owned retailer got its start in 1902 when H.J. Roesing opened the furniture business in nearby Burlington, Wis. His son, A.J. took over and later handed the reins to his son, Don, who would eventually build the current store in Waterford in 1976. A year later, Bob joined and has been with the company ever since.

“It’s been a good ride. I have two children, neither (of whom) is interested at this time, and I decided it was time for Bob to retire,” he quipped.

Key vendors for Roesing include La-Z-Boy, Best Home Furnishings, Klaussner, local mattress maker Comfort Sleep Bedding from Two Rivers, Wis., Ultra Comfort and several Amish manufacturers.

Roesing said Planned Furniture Promotions is working with the retailer to sell the building and to spearhead the going-out-of-business sale, which began in mid-October 2022. Roesing said he expects everything to be 100% buttoned-up by the end of February. “Things have been going smoothly and well. It’s been a successful start to the sale,” he said.

So what will Roesing miss the most about furniture retail? “I’m going to miss the people. In these past weeks, all the people who have come in. I’ve been dealing with third generations. I’m going to miss that personal contact. I’ve made some fantastic relationships, people who I will continue to see who started out as customers,” he said, noting that the southeastern Wisconsin community has been a reason that the business has been around for more than a century.

And with retirement on the horizon, Roesing said he’s looking forward to doing more with one of his hobbies.

“I’ve got a collection of classic muscle cars, I’d like to see a few car shows on the weekends and take things one day at a time,” he said. “I’ve got no real plans or stress to find a job. I’m going to relax for a few months and see where the world takes me.”

See also:

• After 6 decades and 3-year hot streak, Colorado furniture dealer going out on top
• New England furniture fixture Rotmans to close

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