When a family in Laguna Niguel went to check the delivery status of a washer-and-dryer they bought months earlier, they found only silence. Phones at local stores didn’t pick up. The company website was down. By the next day, e-mails and social feeds filled with the same question: where are our appliances?
Howard’s Appliance — a nearly 80-year-old independent chain founded in 1946 by Howard Roach — closed all of its Southern California stores effective Dec. 6, the company notified employees in a brief internal message. The notice, signed by logistics general manager Isaiah Padilla, cited “circumstances beyond our control.” Employees report getting about two days’ notice; customers with pending deliveries and partial payments are scrambling for answers.
A sudden shutdown, a two-day notice
The closure was abrupt. Howard’s had grown from a San Gabriel radio repair shop into a regional appliance, TV and mattress retailer with roughly 17 locations and, until recently, a La Habra headquarters. The company consolidated operations to a new City of Industry facility in 2024 and in April sold to S5 Equity, a Newport Beach private-equity firm led by David Steinhafel and members of the Steinhafel family. Executives at S5 and Howard’s did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Inside the short staff memo, there was no mention of a bankruptcy filing — the company stopped operating stores without signaling insolvency through the courts. That technical distinction offers little comfort to customers or hourly employees who say they were given no severance notice and no clear plan for outstanding orders.
Customers caught between deliveries and refunds
The human stories are immediate and specific. Paul and Donna Brewer of Laguna Niguel paid $6,152.07 in September for a Speed Queen washer and dryer (plus accessories) that were promised by the end of October; they’ve paid $1,500 toward the order and say they’re owed either the machines or a refund. Lily and Alan Marcum, in their 70s, purchased a $3,500 refrigerator and later paid another $411.98 to exchange it for a different model; delivery never arrived.
With the company’s phones and website offline, many buyers are left with receipts and little recourse other than to press their banks or credit-card companies for charge reversals and to keep records in case legal action follows. Customers on social platforms report calling multiple store locations with no answers.
If you’re one of those affected: save your receipts, screenshots of order confirmations and any e-mails; contact your card issuer to ask about a chargeback; document any communication with the retailer. Employers and employees should consult payroll statements and local labor resources about final pay and unemployment options.
Private equity, a tight retail margin and bad timing
Howard’s leaders had spoken optimistically earlier this year. After the S5 acquisition, CEO Peter Boutros said the chain was “poised for the future.” But independent appliance retailers have slim margins, heavy inventory costs and rely on steady delivery logistics — fragilities that can be magnified during the holiday shopping season. With the shutdown coming right after Black Friday, many buyers face the worst-case scenario for big-ticket purchases: paid but undelivered.
The timing also puts this closure in the wider context of seasonal shopping volatility. For shoppers still navigating Black Friday sales, the disruption is a reminder that holiday bargains can carry other risks. Retailers across categories — from home appliances to consumer electronics — are managing tight supply chains and staffing pressures; some consumers instead look to alternatives like the latest MacBook Air deals for smaller-scale holiday purchases.
What this means locally and what might come next
Howard’s was a recognizable Southern California name with decades of service to local customers. Abrupt store closures of this kind typically trigger a scramble over inventory, warranty obligations and whether a buyer or creditor steps in to salvage some operations. Because there’s no public bankruptcy filing, it’s unclear how Howard’s assets will be handled, who — if anyone — will be responsible for undelivered orders, or whether any stores will reopen under new ownership.
For affected employees and customers, clarity may come slowly. Keep documentation, contact payment providers and monitor any official notices from the company or its new owner. Local consumer protection agencies and the state attorney general’s office are typical places to lodge complaints if refunds or promised deliveries don’t materialize.
Howard’s eight-decade run through Southern California retail is over for now — and for the customers waiting for a refrigerator or a washer, the holiday season just became a test of how quickly the system can make them whole again.