If you drive by a Badcock Home Furniture & More store this month, you might see big “Store Closing” banners everywhere. The long-running furniture chain is shutting down for good. Every single location—almost 400 of them—will close in the next few months.
Is Badcock really going out of business? Yes. Here’s what led to this, what it means for workers, and some real context on the end of a well-known regional retailer.
The Announcement: Badcock and Parent Company Both Closing
The real news hit in July 2024. Badcock’s parent company, Conn’s Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This move isn’t about getting a break from creditors or even trying to reorganize. They made it clear from the start: They’re winding down the business and closing all stores. That covers both Badcock and Conn’s locations across the country.
So, this isn’t a temporary thing or some kind of partial shutdown. The plan, right in the court documents, says every single store will close. All the company’s assets—including store merchandise, fixtures, and maybe even some delivery trucks—are being sold off to pay back creditors.
Who Is Badcock? Quick Background on the Brand
If you grew up in the southern U.S., you probably saw Badcock stores everywhere. Badcock has been around for more than 120 years, mostly serving small cities and rural communities. They sold everything from sofas to refrigerators, and for a lot of people, it was the hometown place to get financing for new furniture.
Conn’s, another home goods retailer, acquired Badcock a couple years back. At the time, it seemed like a smart way for both brands to get bigger and cover more ground. But merging two big businesses during an uncertain economy is always risky.
What Went Wrong? Why Badcock Is Closing Now
It’s fair to ask: Why is this all happening now? There isn’t just one reason.
First, both companies have been struggling with money. Conn’s took on a lot of debt to buy Badcock, and the costs of putting two companies together piled up. Retail has always been a tight-margin business, but lately, those margins got even tighter.
Then, interest rates climbed sharply. That made store loans and leases more expensive. Customers also started pulling back on big purchases. People just aren’t shopping for expensive furniture the way they used to. Inflation made everything feel pricier, so more families started saving and skipping non-essentials.
There’s one more issue: After pandemic stimulus payments stopped, traffic in stores was never quite the same. Retailers everywhere have talked about this—customers were flush with cash during 2020 and 2021, but that spending boom didn’t last.
Put all of this together, and Badcock was in deep trouble. Conn’s couldn’t cover the bills, and both chains started running out of runway. Filing for bankruptcy in July 2024 was the only choice left.
What About Employees and Local Shops?
Maybe the hardest part in stories like this is what it means for people. Every Badcock and Conn’s employee—at nearly 400 Badcock locations and scores of Conn’s stores—is losing their job.
That’s hundreds of workers at the company’s Florida headquarters and distribution centers. But most of the jobs are at the stores. Many of these employees have been at Badcock for years, sometimes decades. In smaller towns, these retail jobs really mattered.
Badcock also worked with local franchises and independent store owners in some cases. They’re impacted, too—forced to close down and sell whatever they can. For a lot of communities, the closure means the end of one of the few options for home goods shopping nearby.
The Store Closures: What’s the Process?
The doors won’t slam shut overnight, but the end is moving quickly. After the bankruptcy filing, the company started liquidation sales. You’ve probably seen these in person—huge banners, bigger discounts each week, a strong sense of “everything must go.”
They’re marking down everything left in the stores: furniture, mattresses, electronics, even displays and appliances. In some locations, the shelves and racks themselves are for sale. The sales are supposed to attract bargain-hunters, clear out inventory, and raise enough money to start paying back what’s owed.
Companies that specialize in liquidation are running a lot of these sales. After inventory is gone, stores will close for good. This is the same process happening at Conn’s stores still open.
Why Not Restructure? There’s No Lifeline
Sometimes, when you hear about a store filing for bankruptcy, it’s a strategy to buy time and maybe try again with a smaller footprint. That’s not what’s happening here.
Reading the court documents—or just listening to people inside the company—there are no plans to bring Badcock or Conn’s back later. This is called a full wind-down. The company didn’t set aside money for a last-ditch effort, and there’s no outside investor waiting to step in.
So once the doors close and the last items are sold, that’s it. Badcock and Conn’s will be done, at least as retail brands. The stores, the headquarters, the warehouses—all of it is being packaged up and sold off.
How Big Was Badcock in the Furniture Retail World?
You might not realize how long Badcock has been in business if you’re outside their main region. They started in 1904 and weathered everything from the Great Depression to the 2008 housing crash. They even got through the pandemic’s chaos for a while, adapting with payment plans and online shopping tools.
The chain became a fixture in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, and beyond. You’d find Badcock in small strip malls, free-standing stores, and even next to the local grocery store. It survived so long by giving people credit to buy furniture when bigger retailers wouldn’t. For a lot of folks in the South, a Badcock store was a regular stop.
Acquisition by Conn’s was supposed to be a lifeline, but integration costs, debt, and economic headwinds were just too much. When two struggling companies try to join forces, it sometimes creates more problems than solutions.
What Do These Closures Mean for Furniture Shopping Now?
The end of Badcock and Conn’s leaves a lot of vacant storefronts, especially in smaller communities. There aren’t many regional furniture retailers left on this scale. Besides giants like Ashley Furniture or national chains that focus on big cities, those local go-to stores are getting rare.
Some online-only companies might try to fill the gap, but lots of people still want to test out a sofa or mattress in person. If you were used to easy furniture financing through Badcock or Conn’s, that might be trickier moving forward. Credit options will probably shift to larger chains or online lenders.
Other retailers might move into the empty spaces, but it usually takes a while. A lot of these stores are pretty big buildings, so they’re not easy to replace. If you’re curious about other major business changes happening in 2024, resources like Sera Business have ongoing updates and coverage.
Where Does This Leave Badcock and Conn’s?
When the liquidation is over, Badcock’s 120-year run will be finished. The same goes for Conn’s. These aren’t small boutiques that might pull off a comeback with a pop-up store or an online reboot. The parent company is shutting down everything and paying off debts. Even the company names aren’t expected to pop up elsewhere anytime soon.
There’s a certain nostalgia in watching a store you grew up with go away. But this is just part of a bigger trend. The retail world is shifting fast, and chains that can’t keep up with new shopping habits, costs, and economic changes often don’t get a second chance.
What’s the Takeaway?
If you’re thinking about grabbing a deal during the liquidation, don’t wait too long—popular items tend to go fast. And if you’re a former employee or a long-time customer, it’s natural to feel frustrated. These stores anchored a lot of communities for decades.
But for now, what’s clear is this: Badcock and Conn’s are closing for good. There’s no hidden plan to come back, and no restructuring on the horizon. The days of walking into a neighborhood Badcock store for a new couch or fridge are ending this year, wrapping up a long chapter in regional American retail.