Overview
- Howard’s closed its remaining eight stores after the Thanksgiving shopping period and sought Chapter 11 protection on Dec. 10 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles.
- Roughly 100 employees were told on a Zoom call they would be laid off with about two days’ notice, and the company’s website and phone lines went offline.
- The filing lists estimated assets between $1 million and $10 million, total property of $11.5 million, and $273,500 in unpaid state taxes.
- Major unsecured trade claims include GE Appliances at $1.42 million, LG at $1.13 million, and Electrolux at $894,400, with additional vendor and advertising bills outstanding.
- Recent buyers report undelivered orders dating back to October, and company representatives cite tariffs and weaker consumer spending for the collapse following an April acquisition by S5 Equity.