Soft Surroundings

Soft Surroundings is an American catalog chain specializing in women's clothing and bedding products. It is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Soft Surroundings currently has 44 locations nationwide, most of which are located in lifestyle centers and indoor shopping malls.

Soft Surroundings
TypeWomen's clothing store
IndustryRetail
Founded1999 (1999), St. Louis, Missouri
FateBankruptcy
HeadquartersSt. Louis, Missouri,
U.S.
Number of locations
44 (2023)
ProductsWomen's clothing, bedding
OwnerIndependent (1999-2012)
Brentwood Associates (2012-2023)
Coldwater Creek (2023-present)

History

Soft Surroundings was officially founded and began as a catalog mailing service company on July 18, 1999, in St. Louis, Missouri.[1]

In 2005, Soft Surroundings began expanding its retail footprint, by opening its first and flagship store in its home in St. Louis, Missouri.[2]

On August 14, 2012, Soft Surroundings was acquired by Brentwood Associates. The company had plans to expand its mailing service and expand its retail footprint over the next many years.[3]

On March 18, 2016, Soft Surroundings revealed its plans for its retail footprint and announced that it would open more than 20+ stores over the rest of 2016, which would bring its total amount of stores from 29 to around 50 stores by 2017, with the 50th store being located in Omaha, Nebraska. Plans call for nine more stores to open by the end of 2017.[4][5]

Soft Surroundings was rapidly declining between 2022 and early 2023, forcing the company to close nearly 30 of its over 70 underperforming stores. Back in June 2022, Soft Surroundings was planning on restructuring completely and refocusing its entire assortment on Gen X women to boost sales.[6]

On September 11, 2023, Soft Surroundings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Its remaining 44 stores are set to shutter by the end of October 2023 permanently. Its e-commerce business and mailing catalog service will be sold to Coldwater Creek.[7]

References
  1. "Soft Surroundings Our Story". Soft Surroundings. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  2. "Soft Surroundings opens first Las Vegas store". Business Press. April 9, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  3. "Brentwood Associates Acquires Majority Stake in Soft Surroundings". Multichannel Merchant. August 14, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  4. "CHARLOTTE: Soft Surroundings founder talks big expansion". Biz Journals. March 18, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  5. "Soft Surroundings celebrates 50th store opening". St. Louis Mag. June 9, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  6. "Why Soft Surroundings is refocusing on Gen X shoppers". Modern Retail. May 16, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  7. "Soft Surroundings Files for Bankruptcy to Close All Stores". The Wall Street Journal. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
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