If you’ve been searching for answers about Lumber Liquidators — or LL Flooring, as it was officially called — you’re not the only one. A lot of people heard the news and had questions: Is it really closing? What about my order? My gift card? Are any stores still open?
The short answer is yes, the company largely went out of business. But the full story has a few unexpected twists. Let’s walk through what actually happened, step by step.
The Short Answer — Yes, But It’s More Complicated Than That
On August 11, 2024, LL Flooring — the company most people still call Lumber Liquidators — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. At first, the plan was to close about 94 underperforming stores while keeping more than 300 open and finding a buyer to take over the business.
That plan didn’t hold. By September 3, 2024, the company filed a court notice saying it intended to pursue full liquidation. Store-closing sales were set to begin on September 6 at all remaining locations — roughly 200 stores — over a 12-week wind-down period. Around 2,000 employees were facing job losses.
But then something unexpected happened. A last-minute deal came through that saved part of the business. So while “going out of business” is largely accurate, it’s not the whole story.
Lumber Liquidators, LL Flooring — Same Company, Long History
If you grew up seeing those Lumber Liquidators commercials, you probably didn’t notice when they quietly changed the name to LL Flooring. It’s the same company — founded in the mid-1990s, built around discount hardwood flooring, and once operating hundreds of stores across the U.S.
Things started going sideways in 2015. A “60 Minutes” investigation accused the company of selling laminate flooring with dangerously high levels of formaldehyde. The story hit hard. Sales dropped, legal battles followed, and the brand’s reputation took a serious hit it never fully recovered from.
That wasn’t the only problem. Big-box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s kept gaining ground. Online flooring companies made it easier than ever to skip the specialty retailer entirely. Year after year, the pressure built. The formaldehyde scandal didn’t cause the bankruptcy alone, but it was a wound the company carried all the way to the end.
How the Bankruptcy Unfolded — From Chapter 11 to Closing Sales
As of March 31, 2024, LL Flooring still had 435 stores across the country. By July, reports were circulating that bankruptcy was being considered. By August 11, it was official.
The Chapter 11 filing listed liabilities between $100 million and $500 million, against assets valued between $500 million and $1 billion. The company’s stated goal was to find a “stalking horse bidder” — basically, a lead buyer whose offer would anchor an auction process. In the meantime, they’d close the weakest 94 stores and keep the rest running.
That buyer never came through. On September 3, LL Flooring filed a court notice signaling a full pivot to liquidation. Two days later, CEO Charles Tyson sent a letter to customers explaining that the company would be winding down all of its stores. Store-closing sales began September 6.
It was a fast and painful unraveling for a chain that had been around for nearly 30 years.
A Last-Minute Deal That Saved Some Stores
Here’s where the story gets a little more hopeful — at least for part of the business.
On September 9, 2024, just days after the full liquidation announcement, LL Flooring signed an agreement with a private equity firm called F9 Investments. That firm was led by Tom Sullivan — the original founder of Lumber Liquidators. In a sense, the person who built the company came back to buy pieces of it out of bankruptcy.
F9 Investments acquired 219 stores, a distribution center in Virginia, and the brand’s intellectual property. That’s significant. It means the Lumber Liquidators name, and a portion of its store footprint, didn’t disappear entirely.
However, 211 stores were still set to close — including 94 already in the process of shutting down and 117 more with newly initiated closing sales. So while some locations got a second chance, a large portion of the chain was still gone.
Think of it a bit like what happened with Sears or Toys “R” Us. The original corporate entity collapsed, but brand assets and some operations were picked up and continued in a different form under new ownership.
What This Means If You Were a Customer
If you had an active order, a deposit on flooring, or a gift card when all this was happening, the situation was understandably stressful. Here’s a practical breakdown of what customers in that position faced.
Existing Orders and Deposits
If your local store was among those closing, your order status could have been thrown into uncertainty. During bankruptcy liquidation, the usual advice is to contact the store directly, check your email for updates, and document everything. Customers may have legal standing to file a claim in the bankruptcy process, though recovering money is never guaranteed.
Product Warranties
Warranties get complicated when a retailer shuts down. In many cases, manufacturer warranties still apply — those are tied to the product, not the store. If LL Flooring was listed as the warranty provider directly, the situation becomes murkier. Checking with the product manufacturer directly is usually the best first step.
Gift Cards
Gift cards are often one of the first casualties in a retail bankruptcy. During closing sales, they may be accepted for a limited window — but that window closes when the store does. If you had an LL Flooring gift card and didn’t use it before the store closed, recovering that value through the bankruptcy process is possible but not easy.
Returns and Exchanges
Store-closing sales typically mean all sales are final. Return and exchange policies usually tighten or disappear entirely once a company enters liquidation. If you bought something during the closing sale period, assume returns weren’t an option unless stated otherwise.
What Happened to Employees?
Around 2,000 people worked for LL Flooring when the wind-down was announced. For many of them, the September 2024 news meant job loss with relatively little warning. Local communities — especially in areas where LL Flooring stores had been fixtures for years — felt that ripple effect too.
Small flooring contractors who relied on the company’s discount supply chain also had to scramble. Finding replacement wholesale sources for hardwood and laminate flooring became a real logistical problem for businesses that had built purchasing habits around LL Flooring’s pricing and product range.
Is the Brand Completely Gone?
Not entirely. Thanks to the F9 Investments deal, the Lumber Liquidators name and a portion of the store network continued operating under new private ownership. Some reports indicate that surviving locations were rebranded back to the original Lumber Liquidators name by late 2024.
For business observers, this kind of outcome is worth paying attention to. Specialty retail chains with heavy store footprints and damaged brand reputations have a tough road in today’s environment. LL Flooring’s collapse is a reminder of how a single major scandal — combined with years of competitive pressure — can chip away at a business until there’s nothing left to save.
If you want to follow stories like this one, Relic Business Mag covers the kinds of business developments that actually affect everyday people and the companies they rely on.
The Bottom Line
So, is Lumber Liquidators going out of business? Largely, yes. The original LL Flooring corporate entity filed for bankruptcy in August 2024, failed to find a buyer, and moved into full liquidation by September 2024. Hundreds of stores closed, thousands of jobs were lost, and customers were left navigating uncertainty about orders, warranties, and gift cards.
But a portion of the business — 219 stores and the Lumber Liquidators brand name — was acquired by F9 Investments, the firm led by the company’s original founder. That piece survived, at least in a new form.
It’s not a clean ending either way. The company that once called itself the nation’s largest specialty retailer of hardwood flooring is gone in the way most people knew it. What remains is smaller, privately held, and carrying a complicated legacy into whatever comes next.
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