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Posted on 02/03/2026 9:33:50 AM PST by T.B. Yoits
Authentic Brands Group, which owns the brand’s intellectual property, last month shifted its e-commerce and wholesale licenses to another company.
The fate of Eddie Bauer’s brick-and-mortar fleet is uncertain as its operating company prepares to file for bankruptcy. There are more than 250 Eddie Bauer locations in North America.
In January Eddie Bauer IP owner Authentic said that Catalyst Brands — responsible for the operations of several brands in Authentic’s stable — would continue to operate those retail and outlet stores. But Catalyst is readying a bankruptcy filing for the entity that runs Eddie Bauer’s locations, according to a source familiar with Authentic Brands Group. Authentic last month also shifted the Eddie Bauer e-commerce and wholesale licenses to another operator, Outdoor 5, which has taken over those operations in the U.S. and Canada.
Authentic and Simon Property Group, via a 50/50 venture dubbed Sparc, acquired Eddie Bauer about five years ago. Sparc and its entities became part of Catalyst when Catalyst formed a year ago, incorporating J.C. Penney’s operations and leadership into the mix.
Less than three years ago, Eddie Bauer and Authentic unveiled a new logo and growth strategy for the century-plus-old outdoor retailer, including the expansion of wholesale and international sales. Before joining Sparc, Eddie Bauer, along with PacSun, was run by an operating setup established in 2018 by private equity firm Golden Gate Capital.
Authentic owns the intellectual property of several brands including Eddie Bauer and licenses those rights to others to run operations; the brand management firm also owns a stake in Catalyst. The U.S. operating company of Forever 21, whose brand is also owned by Authentic, filed for bankruptcy last year.
(Excerpt) Read more at retaildive.com ...
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Yeah, picking that "leadership" might not have helped.
Eddie Bauer used to be a high quality brand back in the 1980s into the early 1990s. At some point in the 1990s, the trouble started. Its gone bankrupt and been sold a couple times since 2000 and has gone down hill each time.
Another casualty of Amazon.
My wife and I just got some excellent jackets at one of their outlet stores.
People need to get outside and have a use for such decent clothing.
I miss the vintage Eddie Bauer stuff. I have some of their recent down coats, but they are not the same.
some fun history:
1920: Eddie Bauer opened his first shop, “Eddie Bauer Tennis Supply,” in Seattle, WA.
The Catalyst: After nearly dying from hypothermia on a fishing trip in 1923, Eddie began designing warmer clothing using goose down.
1936 Skyliner: He patented the “Skyliner” quilted down jacket, the first of its kind in the US.
Wartime Contribution: During World War II, Eddie Bauer designed the B-9 flight parka for the U.S. Army Air Force, which was essential for keeping pilots warm.
1968 Retirement: Eddie Bauer retired and sold the company to his partners, who later sold it to General Mills in 1971.
Expansion: Under General Mills and later Spiegel Inc. (1988), the brand expanded from a mail-order business to over 600 stores.
Licensing: The brand gained notoriety in 1984 for its collaboration with Ford on Eddie Bauer edition SUVs.
Ownership Changes: Following bankruptcies in 2003 and 2009, the company was acquired by Golden Gate Capital.
Present Day: In 2021, Eddie Bauer was acquired by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) and SPARC Group LLC. The brand continues to focus on technical outdoor gear and apparel.
Mount Everest: In 1963, Jim Whitaker became the first American to summit Mount Everest, wearing an Eddie Bauer down jacket.
First Lab: Eddie introduced the first Black Labrador retriever to Washington state in 1930.
Unfortunately.
This seems to be the normal life cycle of common consumer clothing brands
It went strong for 100 years. Add in a bunch of female executives driving the product line, some hedge fund money and JC Penny executives, and they were autodead.
I don't know why I'm surprised it takes so long. There is a long delay between customers leaving and stores closing.
“I miss the vintage Eddie Bauer stuff. I have some of their recent down coats, but they are not the same.”
In a nutshell, that is the problem. Everything constantly fashion updated by women, and made as cheaply as possible in China or East Pakistan.
They lost their original leadership and vision - in effect they became a totally different company. Look at National Review and countless examples of losing original vision and purpose = worthless.
Authentic Brands has finished off EB.
I had that car and the same color!
That name seems to have come back, as I saw a North Face store in my local mall yesterday.
-PJ
Carrying a few stores is tough enough but a whole chain is increasingly more difficult.
They used to make great stuff.
I still have two down sleeping bags with deerskin liners I bought for a pack trip into the Glacier back country in 1968.
But they have been a fashion and shitty outdoor gear store for many years. Sad to see them go, but not at all surprised.
The usual customer of the Eddie Bauer style isn’t willing to spend the premium for a logo on Chinese imports. We can get the same stuff on Temu with Eedie Bower.
The regions where that type of clothing was popular (PNW, Minnesota, Wisconson) all traded their denim for filthy riot clothes and Chairman Mao Jackets.
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