Discount Furniture Store With Several Missouri Locations Closing Forever

A discount furniture store with stores in Kansas City, St. Louis, Poplar Bluff, Florissant, Sedalia, and Warrensburg has filed for bankruptcy and will close forever.

According to Furniture Today, Franchise Group, American Freight, and Buddy's Home Furnishing's parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on November 3, 2024. As part of the bankruptcy, Franchise Group will close all American Freight operations, with store closing sales already happening.

It's part of the deal Franchise Group has reached with holders of approximately 80% of the company's debt to continue operations at its other market-leading stores, such as Pet Supplies Plus, The Vitamin Shoppe, and Buddy's Home Furnishings.

Franchise Group's president and CEO, Andrew Laurence, is quoted in the Furniture Today article as saying about the above businesses, “Each of these businesses has a demonstrated value proposition and provides great products and services to customers, which they will continue to do seamlessly during this process. Strengthening FRG’s balance sheet will allow us to enhance our support for these businesses as they advance their growth trajectories.”

American Freight opened stores in Sedalia and Warrensburg just about four years ago, and I wonder if calling the stores American Freight might have been part of their problem.

Store names like Pet Supplies Plus, The Vitamin Shoppe, and Buddy's Home Furnishing give a pretty good idea of what those stores sell. I'm not so sure American Freight does any of that. The only reason I know what they sell is that my buddy Mike was buying appliances and furniture for his new home and made some purchases from the store, which he thought were pretty good deals.

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Today, talking about the bankruptcy and closure, Mike reiterated his excellent shopping experience with the store and lamented that in our area of Missouri, outside of Big Lots, it's getting harder and harder to find a good deal on the types of items American Freight sells.

As someone who shopped and overpaid for some furniture items from Warrensburg's big furniture store, I agree. While it might not impact one's shopping experience in Kansas City or St. Louis, it will impact the smaller communities American Freight serves.