Eddie Bauer Prepares Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing

Eddie Bauer, the century-old outdoor apparel retailer founded in Seattle, is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a move that could lead to the closure of its approximately 200 stores across the United States and Canada.

Sources familiar with the matter indicate that the filing, expected later this month, involves an entity of Catalyst Brands, which holds the license to operate Eddie Bauer's North American retail locations under an agreement with brand owner Authentic Brands Group. The bankruptcy process would place the stores at risk of liquidation, effectively ending the chain's brick-and-mortar presence in the region and shifting its focus to online sales. Liquidation sales have already begun at several locations, and the company's website has removed its store locator tool, signaling imminent changes.

Eddie Bauer traces its roots to 1920, when outdoorsman Eddie Bauer opened his first shop in downtown Seattle. The brand gained fame for pioneering innovations like the Skyliner, the nation's first quilted goose-down jacket, patented in 1936. Over the decades, it expanded to nearly 600 international stores by the late 1990s, offering durable outerwear, hiking gear, and...