Howard’s Appliance, a beloved Southern California institution founded just after World War II, officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California on December 10.
A week after Black Friday, the chain abruptly closed all its Southern California locations, giving employees two days’ notice. This did not include a notice to customers with pending orders. Roughly 100 employees were told on a Zoom call that operations would stop on December 6.
While speaking to the Southern California News Group, David Goodrich, a lawyer representing the company, blamed tariffs and weaker consumer spending for the collapse. The filing disclosed liabilities of up to $17.2 million.
A Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization was filed on December 12, which generally indicates an intent to restructure finances and potentially continue operations in some form. Though the abrupt store closures and layoffs suggest the plan may involve liquidation rather than reopening stores. As of December 17, 2025, no major outcomes from the first-day hearing (held December 16) or detailed specifics of the plan have been publicly reported.
Customers have been scrambling to recover money paid for appliances that were never delivered. Goodrich said there will be partial refunds for undelivered orders, and some customers may be able to pick up items that were in stock but not delivered.
Howard’s was acquired back in April by S5 Equity, a Newport Beach private equity firm, in what was described as a turnaround attempt for the cash-starved retailer. The company had already been shrinking at the time: it operated at least 17 stores before the acquisition, and was down to eight as of the beginning of the month.
Howard’s started in 1946 as a radio repair shop in San Gabriel and later expanded into appliances, televisions, and mattresses. The company was based in La Habra before consolidating operations in December 2024 into a new headquarters in the City of Industry.
Sources: Epiq, San Gabriel, OCRegister