US EditionEddie Bauer Expected to File for Bankruptcy, Close Stores Here - Buffalo Business First
Catalyst Brands plans to close nearly 200 Eddie Bauer stores amid financial pressures; e-commerce and wholesale operations remain unaffected, with liquidation sales already underway.
- In February 2026, Catalyst Brands, operator of Eddie Bauer's North American stores, is preparing a Chapter 11 filing that could close nearly 200 locations.
- Octus, a credit-intelligence and data provider, reported last month that Catalyst Brands faced liabilities tied to landlord and vendor payments while Authentic Brands Group is transitioning Eddie Bauer's licenses to Outdoor 5 or The Oved Group.
- Liquidation sales at Eddie Bauer locations have sold nearly 20,000 units and most fixtures in 14 days; Kirkland & Ellis, international law firm representing Catalyst Brands, and Catalyst did not comment, while Seattle stores remain open with one closing in April.
- Employees face immediate consequences as Eddie Bauer store employees post about job losses and rapid clearouts with only 14 days' notice, while manufacturing, wholesale and e-commerce operations remain unaffected.
- Eddie Bauer's long history shows it was founded in 1920, previously underwent Chapter 11 restructurings in 2003 and 2009, and once operated more than 500 stores worldwide.
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Eddie Bauer through the years, from outdoor apparel icon to bankruptcy watch
Eddie Bauer was founded in 1920.Scott Olson/Getty ImagesEddie Bauer faces potential store closures and a looming bankruptcy filing.The outdoor apparel retailer dates back more than a century.The brand was founded in 1920 by outdoorsman Eddie Bauer.For more than a century, Eddie Bauer has been synonymous with American outdoor adventure apparel. Now the iconic brand is facing the possible collapse of most of its brick-and-mortar business as a bank…
Go Woke, Go Broke: Eddie Bauer Filing For Bankruptcy After Years Of Woke Campaigning
Critics point to years of explicitly political and identity-focused messaging that they say marked a sharp departure from the company's traditional product-driven image. Executives and statements by the company for years deployed left-wing tropes about white mediocrity, "cisgender," and "ableism." The company went all in on the Black Lives Matter fad in 2020.
Seattle’s Eddie Bauer likely to shutter stores amid bankruptcy reports
In another hit to the brick-and-mortar retail scene in the U.S., Eddie Bauer's store operator is expected to file for bankruptcy and shutter its locations throughout North America, according to media reports.
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