If you’ve lived anywhere in the Southeast US, you’ve probably driven past a Badcock Home Furniture &more location. Maybe you or your parents bought your first sofa or mattress there. Even if you weren’t a customer, you saw their red and white signs in both bigger cities and small towns across eight different states.
That’s about to change. After 120 years in business, Badcock is shutting down for good by late October 2024, as part of their parent company Conn’s HomePlus’s bankruptcy. It’s a big event for anyone who grew up in places like Georgia, Florida, or the Carolinas. Let’s look at what happened, what it means for employees and customers, and what comes next for Conn’s.
How Badcock Started And Stuck Around
Badcock is one of those companies that made its name by being reliable, especially to working families in the Southeast. The first store opened way back in 1904, in Mulberry, Florida, started by Henry Stanhope Badcock. Back then, you could count the number of American furniture chains on one hand.
What helped Badcock stand out? Their business model focused on credit even during tough times. During the Great Depression, Henry’s son, Wogan Badcock Sr., figured out people needed furniture, but not everyone had cash upfront. So they let customers pay over time something you now see everywhere, but which was pretty bold for small-town retail a century ago.
Over the decades, Badcock grew from a single store to a chain with hundreds of locations. It became an institution in the Southeast recognizable, practical, and, for many, a place to start when you moved into your first apartment or bought a house.
Conn’s Buys Badcock: The Start of the End
Things started changing quickly in late 2023. Conn’s, a furniture and appliance retailer based out of Texas, bought Badcock from Franchise Group in December 2023. Conn’s had been around even longer 134 years in business, with a footprint mostly in Texas and nearby states. By adding Badcock, their network ballooned to about 553 stores.
At the time, it seemed like the start of something bigger. Conn’s told investors this would help them grow in the Southeast, and maybe breathe new life into both brands by combining warehouses, delivery networks, and credit operations. Badcock’s name stuck around, with stores in eight states including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North and South Carolina, and Virginia.
But retail is tough, and furniture is even tougher when the economy’s unpredictable.
Debt, Slow Sales, and Bankruptcy
The pandemic had a strange effect on furniture sales: First, people spent money on their homes, so business was good. But as people settled into new routines, sales cooled off again. The “boom” faded, and by mid-2024, Conn’s was struggling, owing creditors over $100 million, and facing mounting financial pressure.
In late July 2024, Conn’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. If you’re not familiar, that’s the part of bankruptcy law where a company hopes to restructure, keep operating, and work out deals with creditors, rather than just disappear. Still, it usually comes with major cuts.
The hits kept coming. On August 6, 2024, Badcock announced on Facebook that all its locations would be closing down within a few months. The news spread quickly, but employees had already gotten the heads-up the week before.
Store Closures Across the Southeast
Now we’re seeing the real impact. Badcock is closing every one of its roughly 370 stores across eight southeastern states. The first reports talked about closing 35 locations, but the bankruptcy meant a complete shutdown instead.
In Georgia alone, that means over two dozen stores are closing, from Lakeland to Fort Oglethorpe, including spots in Hartwell, Toccoa, Commerce, Clarkesville, Cleveland, and metro Atlanta. Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, and Virginia are all seeing closures too.
If you drive around these areas, you might notice the familiar storefronts running big “Store Closing” banners, with discounts ramping up each week.
For employees, it’s a tough stretch. Around 1,200 people will lose their jobs by the time all the stores close. We’re talking about sales staff, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, and managers real people from small towns as well as cities.
The shock for some communities is even bigger. In certain towns, Badcock was one of the few large retail options, and losing it takes away more than just a furniture store.
Liquidation Sales: What’s Left for Customers
If you’re thinking about snagging a deal, every Badcock store will keep running liquidation sales up through late October 2024. This will be your last chance to buy something from the chain and inventory is limited by what’s left on hand or in warehouses.
Just a heads up: If you have existing credit or payments, you don’t need to panic. You can keep paying your bill online, by phone, by mail, or right at the store while it’s open. But there’s no new financing just clearance pricing till they run out.
Since the bankruptcy, there haven’t been any surprise reversals or rescue plans. Everything points to a complete exit by the end of October.
Job Losses and Local Fallout
About 1,200 jobs will be lost across Badcock’s locations with these closures. For many long-time employees, the news was a sudden blow. In retail, job security is rarely a guarantee, but losing a company that has been around for generations hits differently.
For smaller towns, losing a Badcock can punch a real hole in the local economy. It’s not just about jobs these stores support other local businesses, from cleaning crews to delivery contractors. Some towns may also lose a reliable source of affordable home goods, pushing people to shop farther away or online.
There’s a ripple effect, too. A vacant building sticks out on a major road, and for places that thrive on recognizable brands, it’s an open question what will move in next.
What’s Next for Conn’s and Other Stores
Badcock isn’t the only part of Conn’s feeling the squeeze. The parent company is also closing about 70–71 Conn’s HomePlus locations in 15 states, Georgia included. The closures are meant to help save other parts of the business, but it’s a big hit for a company that just a year before seemed to be on a growth path.
If you’re wondering what Conn’s strategy will be after these shutdowns, it sounds like they want to regroup and focus on profitable markets. But like many companies facing bankruptcy, there’s real uncertainty. The mix of rising interest rates, shaky consumer demand, and growing costs for delivery and storage means even surviving the next few years isn’t guaranteed.
What You Should Know If You’re a Customer
To sum up the practical stuff: If you were thinking about buying from Badcock, you’ve got until late October 2024. Stores are staying open till then, selling whatever they have left.
If you owe money or are paying off a sofa or washer, you can still make payments the usual ways for now. For anyone hoping to open a new line of credit, that ship has sailed. Liquidation inventory depends on warehouse supplies, and some deals might go fast as stores wind down.
For those curious about similar business stories or looking for new opportunities in retail and beyond, you might find resources at SideBusinessTips.com, especially as the retail landscape keeps shifting.
A Look Back and a Look Forward
After a century in business, Badcock is wrapping things up not with a bang, but with “Everything Must Go” signs. For shoppers and locals, it’s one less familiar brand on main roads and in shopping centers across the Southeast. For employees, it’s a tough goodbye, and for Conn’s, it’s another challenge in a business that doesn’t leave much room for mistakes.
There’s no talk of a comeback or reinvention for Badcock after October 2024. That’s the reality for a lot of older, regional brands squeezed by changing shopping habits, debt, and competition.
As for Conn’s, their future is tied to whether they can adapt and operate on a smaller scale. For now, that means finishing up these closures, dealing with creditors, and hoping they have enough of a base to rebuild.
So if you pass by a Badcock and see the big red banners, you’re looking at one of the last chapters in a long business story. And for many towns, it marks the end of a place where generations picked out their first furniture set, paid for it over time, and made a house feel more like home.
Also Read:
