Value City Furniture closed 89 stores in 2026 — $57M undelivered, parent liquidated

Value City Furniture was founded in 1948 by Alvin Schottenstein in Columbus, Ohio, growing from a single furniture store into a regional chain. In 1995 the company launched the American Signature proprietary brand, and in 2002 formed American Signature Inc. as the parent company. At its peak it operated 125 stores across the East Coast, Midwest and Southeast.

By the time it filed for Chapter 11 on 23 November 2025, the company had 89 stores — 32 Value City Furniture and 57 American Signature locations. The filing blamed high interest rates and a sluggish housing market for a collapse in furniture sales. Court documents revealed that approximately 10,000 customer orders worth over $57 million were undelivered at the time of the filing.

The company sought a stalking-horse buyer but received no qualifying bids. On 9 January 2026, it announced the closure of all remaining stores. Liquidators SB360 Capital Partners, Hilco Global and Gordon Brothers ran going-out-of-business sales that concluded by March 2026. One North Carolina manufacturing facility laid off 275 workers.

The case shows how a family-run furniture chain that survived for 78 years could be undone by macroeconomic forces — high interest rates froze the housing market, and without home sales there was no demand for new furniture.