Popular clothing retailer Eddie Bauer is filing for bankruptcy and closing all its U.S. stores. After operating nearly 200 stores across North America, Eddie Bauer will now close its brick-and-mortar locations in the U.S., WWD reported.
Eddie Bauer has already closed four locations across New York
Two of the closed New York stores were located at Johnson City’s Oakdale Mall and on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. The other two were located in the Niagara Falls Fashion Outlets and at Long Island’s Tanger Outlets in Deer Park. Seven more Eddie Bauer stores in New York have not yet closed, according to Syracuse.com. It’s not clear when the remaining locations will be shut down.
What’s next for Eddie Bauer after bankruptcy?
Eddie Bauer will continue to operate its business out of Japan. The company will also continue to manufacture goods and maintain its online sales. According to WWD, Eddie Bauer will now switch its e-commerce and design operations to the brand development and licensing platform known as Outdoor 5.
Jarrod Weber, president of Authentic (owner of the Eddie Bauer brand), said the company is looking forward to its partnership with Outdoor 5.
“Our relationship with [Outdoor 5] has been built on trust, shared vision, and operational excellence,” Weber said, according to WWD via Yahoo! Finance. “This next chapter aligns Eddie Bauer with a partner with expertise in the outdoor space, while allowing Catalyst to focus on its successful lifestyle portfolio. Together, we’re setting the brand up for long-term, sustainable growth.”
Eddie Bauer previously filed for bankruptcy twice
Eddie Bauer first filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2003, The Street reported. At that time, the business operated under its parent company, Spiegel Inc. Eddie Bauer filed for bankruptcy again in 2009 while operating as Eddie Bauer Holdings, Inc. The company faced a massive debt at that time and struggled with sales amid the recession-era. That’s when private equity firm Golden Gate Capital acquired the company for roughly $286 million at a bankruptcy auction, per The Street.
Currently, Eddie Bauer’s store operations are owned by Catalyst Brands, which was founded in 2025 by Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corp., Authentic Brands Group and Shein.