Soft Surroundings

American women's clothing retailer

This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Information should reflect post-bankruptcy. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (February 2024)

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Soft Surroundings

Company type| Women's clothing store
Industry| Retail
Founded| July 18, 1999; 25 years ago (July 18, 1999), St. Louis, Missouri
Headquarters| St. Louis, Missouri,

U.S.

Number of locations

| 44 (2023)
Products|

* Women's clothing
* bedding

Owner|

* Independent
* (1999-2012)
* Brentwood Associates (2012-23)
* Coldwater Creek
* (2023-present)

Website| www.softsurroundings.com

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

## History

[edit]

Founded in 1999, Soft Surroundings began as a catalog mailing service company in St. Louis, Missouri.[1]

In 2005, the firm began expanding its retail footprint, by opening its first and flagship store in its home in St. Louis.[2] Upon being acquired on August 14, 2012 by Brentwood Associates, it had plans to expand its mailing service and expand its retail footprint over the next many years.[3]

On March 18, 2016, it 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]

### Bankruptcy

[edit]

On September 11, 2023, the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As well as being reported that its remaining 44 stores would be closed permanently, it was announced that its e-commerce business and mailing catalog service would be sold.[7] The final stores shuttered on February 24, 2024.

On December 7, 2023, Soft Surroundings was sold to Coldwater Creek.[8] Coldwater Creek, which had filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in 2014, was acquired by Hong Kong-based procurement, logistics and product development company, Newtimes Group, in 2020. Newtimes Group is one of the world's largest suppliers to the apparel industry.

## References

[edit]

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.
8. ^ "Coldwater Creek Acquires Soft Surroundings, Adopts New Returns Solution". Retail Touch Points. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-14.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website