Another Tuscaloosa Chain Retailer Closing

Internal battles and a bankruptcy filing are claiming yet another major chain store Tuscaloosa retailer. LL Flooring is shuttering 94 stores of its 300 stores, including the one at 3305 McFarland Blvd. East. The Tuscaloosa store is the only one of seven LL Flooring locations being closed in Alabama.

The chain previously known as Lumber Liquidators first opened the Tuscaloosa store in March 2022 in a building that had been empty for several years.  Now the store will conduct a liquidation sale and will remain open through September 29.

According to its website, LL Flooring has more than 500 varieties of floors to meet each customer-specific need, including solid and engineered hardwood, bamboo and laminate, which can be viewed in-store and online at their website.

“After comprehensive efforts to enhance our liquidity position in a challenging macro environment, a determination was made that initiating this Chapter 11 process is the best path forward for the company,” Chief Executive Charles Tyson stated in a press release.

As Lumber Liquidators, LL Flooring, began business in Massachusetts in 1994 selling out of the back of a truck before opening its first brick-and-mortar store in 1996. By 2018 the company was operating more than 450 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

In 2013 a CBS "60 Minutes" investigative report revealed the company was using Chinese flooring that contained unhealthy formaldehyde levels.

By 2015, Lumber Liquidators pleaded guilty in federal court to the illegal importation of hardwood flooring and was fined millions in U.S. federal court.

On January 1, 2022, Lumber Liquidators officially rebranded to the current name of LL Flooring.

Last month the Richmond VA based company gave advance warning that it was facing financial hardship due to slow sales and a significant decline in home renovations. Financial experts noted that LL Flooring was not competing well with other national home improvement chains like Home Depot and Lowes.

Late yesterday, LL Flooring filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware and announced plans to sell of all of its assets and close 94 locations as part of the sale. Company officials have announced they are actively engaged in negotiations with “multiple bidders.”

The company is also restructuring their board of directors. Some members of the board have been working to oust company leadership and in July sent and open letter to stockholders that was reported on by Business Wire.

Court documents show the company holds $500 million to $1 billion in assets and owes $100 million to $500 million to up to 100,000 creditors.

The company has released a full list of store closures on their website.