Coldwater Creek calls it quits – at least for now

A struggling women’s apparel retailer is closed, although a message on its e-commerce site implies a return is possible.

The front page of the Coldwater Creek site contains a message that begins with large-type words “We’re Closed.” However, the next line of the message says, “Good friends never say goodbye, they simply say, ‘see you soon.’”

The site goes on to cite the “challenging issues brought on by COVID-19” as forcing the retailer to close its stores and website and not take any further orders. The message concludes, “Please check back now and then for any updates.” A note at the top of the site says the company is managing through existing orders and customers will not be charged for any merchandise unless it ships.

Earlier in July, Coldwater Creek held a 70%-off everything sale on its website, with all sales final. The new Coldwater Creek catalog also offered the same promotion. At the time, the retailer strongly implied it was planning to close down, stating on its site, “We may be saying goodbye before too long so we’re taking 70% off everything. Thanks for being part of our family & history.”

Founded in 1984 as a catalog retailer, Coldwater Creek went on to open stores nationwide. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in spring 2014 with plans to liquidate and close its more than 300 stores. Sycamore Partners subsequently acquired the Coldwater Creek brand and other intellectual property and relaunched the business as a direct-to-consumer brand.

It re-entered physical space in 2017, opening a store in Burlington, Mass. However, all of Coldwater Creek’s 13 stores shut down during the pandemic and never reopened.