Introduction
Eddie Bauer LLC filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition on February 9, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, Case No. 26-11422 (SLM). Case searches often confuse the retailer, the brand, and the website, which are not the same thing.
This article reflects the docket as documented through October 20, 2026. Check the official docket for anything newer.
The filing covers the North American store operator, not every business that uses the Eddie Bauer name. We cover the case scope, the sale-or-wind-down strategy, key parties, stakeholder issues, and the docket events worth tracking.
Key Takeaways
- Five North American retail debtors filed in New Jersey on February 9, 2026; the plan took effect May 6, 2026.
- The debtors ran a sale process alongside store-closing sales, but no Qualified Bids arrived and the auction was canceled.
- Landlords, vendors, and gift card holders face deadlines tied to specific statutes and court orders.
- E-commerce, wholesale, and international stores sit outside the debtor entities.
Case Snapshot: Eddie Bauer LLC Chapter 11 Docket
The cases are jointly administered as In re Eddie Bauer LLC, et al. before Judge Stacey L. Meisel. The First-Day Declaration lists five debtors:
- 13051269 Canada Inc.
- Eddie Bauer, LLC
- Eddie Bauer Gift Card Services, LLC
- Eddie Bauer of Canada Corporation
- SPARC EB Holdings, LLC
The petition requests consolidated asset and liability estimates, but the checkbox marks in the accessible copy are ambiguous. No asset and liability range is stated here. Confirm the figures in the petition or schedules.
Store footprint: The First-Day Declaration reports 175 remaining U.S. and Canadian retail locations, with no U.S./Canada split. Store-closing sales began at those locations between January 26 and February 7, 2026. The declaration also says 49 unprofitable leases had not been renewed.
These figures describe the petition period. No final closure count is readily available, so treat any store tally as a snapshot.
What the Filing Covers, and What It Does Not
The debtors were the exclusive licensee for brick-and-mortar Eddie Bauer retail in the United States and Canada. The cases cover that operator and its four listed affiliates.
Entity Map
- Debtor retail operators: the five entities above, running physical stores.
- Outdoor 5 LLC (O5): not a debtor. The First-Day Declaration identifies it as holding wholesale and e-commerce rights; a separate licensed operator ran those channels and was not affected by the retail wind-down.
- Authentic Brands Group (ABG): owns the Eddie Bauer intellectual property, per the company's February 9 release. Its January 8, 2026 release announced an expanded partnership with Oved (Outdoor 5) for e-commerce and wholesale.
- International licensees: stores outside the United States and Canada were run by other licensees and were excluded from these cases.
Owning a brand is different from running its stores or website. A live website also does not by itself show which entity operates it. Don't infer the status of any non-debtor from the retail filing.
Eddie Bauer's Chapter 11 Strategy
The Dual Track
The debtors pursued a going-concern sale of retail operations while running store-closing sales and preparing for a possible wind-down. Before filing, SOLIC contacted 126 potential acquirers (68 financial, 58 strategic). Thirty-four signed NDAs, and two indications of interest arrived January 30. Neither was a binding going-concern proposal.
The Restructuring Support Agreement
The First-Day Declaration said the RSA had support from 100% of the ABL, term-loan, and subordinated-loan lenders. It proposed a conditional distribution to general unsecured creditors: the greater of 10% of net asset-sale proceeds remaining on the balance sheet or $250,000, conditioned on the class accepting the plan. That was a proposal, not a reported recovery. An RSA shows negotiated support. It does not guarantee a sale or confirmation.
Store-Closing Sales and Funding
Hilco Merchant Resources and SB360 Capital Partners were retained in January 2026 for the closing sales. Inventory, seasonality, and occupancy costs make retail cases time-sensitive: every month of rent on an unproductive store drains value.
The debtors sought interim and final cash-collateral authority, and the docket reports a final order on March 27. Cash-collateral authority is confirmed on the docket; separate new-money DIP terms are not documented.
What Was Proposed, Authorized, and Done
| Date | Event | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 10 | Bidding-procedures order | Entered |
| Feb. 27 | Colin Anten filed a "Stalking Horse Bid" | Debtors said it did not qualify |
| Mar. 3 | Bid deadline; no Qualified Bids reported | Auction canceled; sale hearing adjourned |
| Apr. 16 | Third Amended Joint Plan | Confirmed |
| May 6 | Plan effective date | Plan administration and wind-down |
No completed going-concern sale is documented on the docket.
Docket, Key Parties, and Documents to Follow
Principal Participants
- Debtors' counsel: Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Cole Schotz P.C. (co-counsel/conflicts); Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (Canadian counsel)
- Advisers: SOLIC Capital Advisors (investment banker); Berkeley Research Group (financial adviser); Stephen Coulombe (co-CRO); RCS Real Estate Advisors (leases)
- Claims agent: Stretto
- Secured lenders: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (ABL agent); Whitehawk Capital Partners LP (term-loan agent); Copper Retail JV LLC (subordinated facility)
- Equity holder: SPARC EB Holdings LLC, also a debtor
- Creditors' committee: an Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, advised by Province LLC
The Claims Agent's Role
Stretto handles noticing, proof-of-claim administration, and bar-date communications, and hosts case documents. Verify instructions on the official case website and docket.
Docket Monitoring Checklist
- Petition and first-day declaration
- First-day motions and cash-collateral orders
- Retention applications
- Schedules and statements
- Claims bar dates
- Monthly operating reports
- Sale and lease motions
- Committee activity
- Plan, dismissal, or conversion developments
Prioritize signed orders, notices of hearing, declarations, and claims notices over summaries that go stale. Log each item with its filing date, document number, event type, affected entity, and whether it is proposed, noticed, or entered.
BankruptcyData offers docket monitoring, case alerts, and timeline research that connect filings, stakeholders, and outcomes in one record.
What the Case Means for Stakeholders
Landlords
Under 11 U.S.C. § 365(d)(4), a debtor generally must assume or reject a nonresidential lease by the earlier of 120 days after the order for relief or plan confirmation. The court may grant one 90-day extension for cause, and further extensions need the lessor's written consent.
Landlords should track:
- Assumption and rejection
- Assignment and cure claims
- Store-closing procedures
Rights depend on the lease and the court orders.
Vendors, Trade Creditors, and Lenders
Identify prepetition exposure separately from postpetition dealings. Key tools include:
- § 503(b)(9): goods received within 20 days before filing may qualify as administrative expenses.
- § 546(c): a qualifying seller may demand reclamation for goods received within 45 days before filing, subject to prior security interests.
- Proofs of claim: use Official Form 410 and the Stretto claims portal.
Key claim deadlines include:
- General bar date: April 7, 2026 (passed)
- Governmental-unit bar date: August 10, 2026 (passed)
- Postpetition claims deadline under the confirmed plan: June 5, 2026
On October 6, the Plan Administrator and GUC Trust moved to extend the claims-objection deadline. The hearing was noticed for October 27; the motion is not reported as granted.
Employees, Customers, and Consumers
The February 10 interim order authorized, but did not require, the debtors to honor customer programs such as non-expiring gift cards. It did not establish that every card would be redeemed. Online availability depends on the separate operating entity.
Review your notices and consult qualified bankruptcy counsel about deadlines, claim classification, lease rights, and recovery expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Eddie Bauer's stores?
The North American retail operator filed Chapter 11, and store-closing sales ran at all locations. The debtors contemplated a sale or an orderly wind-down, and the case is now in plan administration. Check current docket orders for location-specific status.
Is Eddie Bauer still available online?
E-commerce and wholesale reportedly operated through Outdoor 5 LLC, outside the retail filing. eddiebauer.com showed active shopping pages on October 20, 2026, but confirm availability through current company communications.
Who owns Eddie Bauer?
Authentic Brands Group owns the Eddie Bauer intellectual property, per the company's February 9 release. The retail debtors were licensees, and SPARC EB Holdings LLC was the equity holder of Eddie Bauer LLC.
