LL Flooring is closing 94 locations across the US — including these Fresno-area stores
LL Flooring plans to close a total of 94 locations across the United States amid bankruptcy, including two stores in the Fresno area.
In a news release on Sunday, the Virginia-based flooring company said it’s in negations with bidders to find a buyer in a “going-concern sale” and hopes to seek court approval to sell its business within the first couple of weeks of bankruptcy proceedings.
LL Flooring CEO Charles Tyson said filing for bankruptcy was the “best path forward,” providing the company with time and “financial flexibility” to close storefronts while attempting to sell the remainder of the business.
“We are committed to continuing to serve our valued customers, and to working seamlessly with our vendors and partners,” Tyson, who doubles as LL Flooring’s president, wrote in the release.
In announcing the bankruptcy, he blamed a “challenging macro environment.”
A request for comment on Tuesday morning wasn’t immediately returned.
Which LL Flooring stores are closing in Fresno area?
LL Flooring recently updated its website to show upcoming closures across the country, including several stores in California, Illinois and Texas.
As of Tuesday morning, the flooring retail chain listed its locations at 5091 North Fresno St. in Fresno and 3725 South Mooney Blvd. in Visalia as “closing.”
A total of nine other stores across the Golden State were listed as “closing soon,” according to the flooring company’s site. Here’s where:
It’s unclear when the locations will officially close their doors.
In the meantime, the stores are offering customers “liquidation deals,” the company wrote on its site.
Will other Central Valley locations stay open?
The chain’s stores in Redding, Modesto, Rancho Cordova and Roseville will remain open, according to its site.
LL Flooring joins a list of restaurant and restaurant chains that have abruptly closed locations due to financial constraints including Big Lots, Red Lobster, Cracker Barrel and Conn’s HomePlus.
What is LL Flooring?
LL Flooring describes itself as “the country’s leading specialty retailers of hard-surface flooring,” from hardwood and bamboo to cork and laminate options.
The company was founded in Massachusetts in the early 90s as Lumber Liquidators, according to its site.
LL Flooring’s founder Tom Sullivan started the company by “purchasing excess wood from companies and reselling it to customers at a discount.” He eventually cut out the middleman.
The company said it sells flooring and the tools needed to complete the job such as butcher blocks, molding and “anything else you need to create the foundation of your dream space.”
There are currently more than 300 open LL Flooring stores across the country, including 39 locations in California.