News Volcom at Disney Springs set to close

[Gringrinngghost]

Librated Brands Statement on Bankruptcy Filing​

The company released the following statement on Monday afternoon:

Liberated Brands Files Voluntary Chapter 11 Petitions

Company’s 100-Plus U.S. Retail Locations Will Be Closing; Status of Hawaii Retail Locations Currently in Flux

New York, NY — February 3, 2025 — Liberated Brands announced that it filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to implement an orderly monetization and disposition of its businesses. The company has been in the process of transitioning its brand licenses to new license holders as part of a management transition to ensure continuity for the brands and their success moving forward.

This filing does not impact the future of the brands, as they have already transitioned to new, well-capitalized partners who are actively investing in their growth and long-term success.

Liberated’s 100-plus stores in the U.S. will remain open and continue serving customers as the company begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its U.S. retail locations. Through the filing of customary motions with the Court, Liberated intends to uphold its commitments to customers, employees, and partners, including continued payment of employee wages and benefits. The Chapter 11 process will be financed by JP Morgan.

A liquidation sale process, conducted by Gordon Brothers Group, has commenced at Liberated’s U.S. retail locations. Following the liquidation, Liberated’s 100-plus retail locations in the U.S. will be closing. The status of the company’s nine retail locations in Hawaii is currently being negotiated.

“The Liberated team has worked tirelessly over the last year to propel these iconic brands forward, but a volatile global economy, consumer spending changes amid a rising cost of living, and inflationary pressures have all taken a heavy toll,” Liberated Brands said in a statement. “Despite this difficult change, we are encouraged that many of our talented associates have found new opportunities with other license holders that will carry these great brands into the future.”

Liberated has retained Kirkland & Ellis, LLP and AlixPartners LLP to facilitate the Chapter 11 restructuring process. JP Morgan has retained Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and Berkeley Research Group, LLC.

Statement by Liberated Brands cite: https://shop-eat-surf-outdoor.com/news/liberated-brands-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy/603586

CC: @wdwmagic

 

[Disstevefan1]

Came and went and I never set foot in it…

Next tenant please.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

…I have a feeling that the frequencies of closures will increase dramatically

 

[Stitchon]

…I have a feeling that the frequencies of closures will increase dramatically

Why exactly are you saying that? Volcom's parent company - which also owns the terminally distressed Quiksilver and Billabong - is bankrupt. It has nothing to do with Disney Springs. How many times does Steve need to tell everyone that the Disney Springs tenants are often the top performing locations in their respective chains? When a tenant closes, a vast majority of the time it's because of their own corporate failings. Billabong will be out at The Mall at Millenia, but I doubt anyone is predicting future doom for them.

 

[Nobody nobody]

Volcom sounds like an evil corporation from an 80s sci fi/horror flick.

 

[Moth]

Throw in a Build a Bear already, mommy needs her exclusive Figment and outfits for Mothman

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Why exactly are you saying that? Volcom's parent company - which also owns the terminally distressed Quiksilver and Billabong - is bankrupt. It has nothing to do with Disney Springs. How many times does Steve need to tell everyone that the Disney Springs tenants are often the top performing locations in their respective chains? When a tenant closes, a vast majority of the time it's because of their own corporate failings. Billabong will be out at The Mall at Millenia, but I doubt anyone is predicting future doom for them.

First…settle down, Beavis

Second, there has already been a lot of churn…and they have yet to have bad economic conditions as of yet…which is unsustainable at some point

 

[castlecake2.0]

There may be lots of churn but there’s always another tenant waiting to set up shop. How many other retail areas in the country have a constant flow of busses and boats dumping vacation spenders at their door? Springs seems like one of the safest bets in the retail world right now.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

There may be lots of churn but there’s always another tenant waiting to set up shop. How many other retail areas in the country have a constant flow of busses and boats dumping vacation spenders at their door? Springs seems like one of the safest bets in the retail world right now.

Might it have something to do with them paywalling their parks?

When Main Street is empty at 11 am and 5 hours later springs is thick…my spidey sense goes off

 

[Figments Friend]

Throw in a Build a Bear already, mommy needs her exclusive Figment and outfits for Mothman

Funny you should mention this…

Years ago, back in 2005 ish, Build-a-Bear Workshop was trying VERY very hard to get into Downtown Disney in Orlando.
They wanted a certain location, but the tenant wasn’t moving anytime soon so they decided to wait and hope they would be able to have the space.
Never happened.
I believe today that space is ‘Once Upon A Toy’.

When the redevelopment of the area happened some years later, BABW contracted with T-Rex Cafe to have one of their Build-a-Dino locations attached to the restaurants shopping area.
It was not the full blown location they were hoping for, but by this point the rents per space had skyrocketed.
This was the companies way of opening a location ‘on the cheap’ and still have a small presence there.

-

 

[bmr1591]

First…settle down, Beavis

Second, there has already been a lot of churn…and they have yet to have bad economic conditions as of yet…which is unsustainable at some point

Is the churn due to the economics of those locations or the company as a whole? From my research, it’s been the latter. Do I walk through DS and question who would go into some stores on their vacation (like the hammock store that failed…who’s shipping a hammock home?)? Sure. But the vast majority of even the ones I question are very successful at DS.

Might it have something to do with them paywalling their parks?

When Main Street is empty at 11 am and 5 hours later springs is thick…my spidey sense goes off

Just so I’m clear, are you saying that Main Street is typically empty around lunch time and then close to 5 pm DS becomes packed? And you believe the two are correlated?

 

[Moth]

Funny you should mention this…

Years ago, back in 2005 ish, Build-a-Bear Workshop was trying VERY very hard to get into Downtown Disney in Orlando.
They wanted a certain location, but the tenant wasn’t moving anytime soon so they decided to wait and hope they would be able to have the space.
Never happened.
I believe today that space is ‘Once Upon A Toy’.

When the redevelopment of the area happened some years later, BABW contracted with T-Rex Cafe to have one of their Build-a-Dino locations attached to the restaurants shopping area.
It was not the full blown location they were hoping for, but by this point the rents per space had skyrocketed.
This was the companies way of opening a location ‘on the cheap’ and still have a small presence there.

-

Oh! Adding onto this, a few years ago (around mid-2022?), they were trying to stalk out a location again over there, trying to position it as a "flagship" store, but once again, price was the absolute main blockade there and they definitively backed off of it late-24.


They've had a long term partnership with Landrys (people behind T-REX) and have a good partnership with Disney, so while it's disappointing they never actualized the idea for a "Disney Workshop" (see photos of the Hello Kitty themed store in LA for an example of the 2022+ plans, but picture it on a bigger scale for capacity), they seem perfectly content living in T-REX.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Is the churn due to the economics of those locations or the company as a whole? From my research, it’s been the latter. Do I walk through DS and question who would go into some stores on their vacation (like the hammock store that failed…who’s shipping a hammock home?)? Sure. But the vast majority of even the ones I question are very successful at DS.

It’s probably both to an extent. My point is that there has been no larger economic downturn while springs has existed to this point. It will happen when somebody screws up though…humans can’t resist

Just so I’m clear, are you saying that Main Street is typically empty around lunch time and then close to 5 pm DS becomes packed? And you believe the two are correlated?

No…I’m saying there is a noticeable downturn in park attendance that hasn’t seemed to affect the traffic at springs. I think the one has something to do with the other.

It’s a lot to ask the immense tourism
Market in Orlando to pay $150 for entry…plus line skips if you’re miserable…and oh yeah -
Shut the park down in the evening and charge $150 AGAIN If you want the full day

 

[lazyboy97o]

Funny you should mention this…

Years ago, back in 2005 ish, Build-a-Bear Workshop was trying VERY very hard to get into Downtown Disney in Orlando.
They wanted a certain location, but the tenant wasn’t moving anytime soon so they decided to wait and hope they would be able to have the space.
Never happened.
I believe today that space is ‘Once Upon A Toy’.

When the redevelopment of the area happened some years later, BABW contracted with T-Rex Cafe to have one of their Build-a-Dino locations attached to the restaurants shopping area.
It was not the full blown location they were hoping for, but by this point the rents per space had skyrocketed.
This was the companies way of opening a location ‘on the cheap’ and still have a small presence there.

-

They also had a Ridemakerz store.

 

[Figments Friend]

Oh! Adding onto this, a few years ago (around mid-2022?), they were trying to stalk out a location again over there, trying to position it as a "flagship" store, but once again, price was the absolute main blockade there and they definitively backed off of it late-24.


They've had a long term partnership with Landrys (people behind T-REX) and have a good partnership with Disney, so while it's disappointing they never actualized the idea for a "Disney Workshop" (see photos of the Hello Kitty themed store in LA for an example of the 2022+ plans, but picture it on a bigger scale for capacity), they seem perfectly content living in T-REX.

All true.
I remember the push for the ‘flagship’ location, but they consider the location at The Florida Mall to now be the local ‘flagship’.
Currently has the new ‘Bakeshop’ and other plusses most locations do not have.

For those not familiar, BABW also has a location just over the Property line on I-Drive.
So a location at Springs at this point is probably not a high priority.

They are too busy expanding onto cruise lines and Great Wolf Lodge to be bothered with the restrictions and expense Disney would bring to them if they continued to pursue a location there.
But ya never know…might happen one day.

-

 

[MrPromey]

Funny you should mention this…

Years ago, back in 2005 ish, Build-a-Bear Workshop was trying VERY very hard to get into Downtown Disney in Orlando.
They wanted a certain location, but the tenant wasn’t moving anytime soon so they decided to wait and hope they would be able to have the space.
Never happened.
I believe today that space is ‘Once Upon A Toy’.

When the redevelopment of the area happened some years later, BABW contracted with T-Rex Cafe to have one of their Build-a-Dino locations attached to the restaurants shopping area.
It was not the full blown location they were hoping for, but by this point the rents per space had skyrocketed.
This was the companies way of opening a location ‘on the cheap’ and still have a small presence there.

-

Once Upon a Toy was built as Once Upon a Toy.

The Disney Village area was extended more towards the road when this was added.

Prior to that, I believe there was an entrance to the parking lot and more parking lot in the space that store and the area around it now occupies.


Not doubting deal issues (although doubting their logic, maybe). It seems odd they'd have trouble finding an agreeable financial arrangement given the insane markup they have on these products and how easy storage is. Just what they cost in a regular mall for what people are getting and then all the add-ons if you want it to smell or have a sound and then the outfits.

I mean, if Mars can justify the space M&M world has anchored by a candy you can pick up at a gas station, $75+ stuffed animals should be a walk in the park for a location that would probably be a quarter of that size.

I'd have to believe that other than maybe a break room, their locations are close to 100% showroom space and a few theme-park exclusives would be like cracking alchemy for them in attracting the crowd that seem to collect these like beanie babies from the 90's.

 

[Figments Friend]

Once Upon a Toy was built as Once Upon a Toy.

The Disney Village area was extended more towards the road when this was added.

Prior to that, I believe there was an entrance to the parking lot and more parking lot in the space that store and the area around it now occupies.

Was it now?
Well then I am not remembering correctly then…but I was sure it was one of the spaces in that area.
Perhaps the building to the right of it…name escapes me at the moment.

I’d have to look at an old map of DTD.
The space I had to guess at as even though I worked for the company back then, lips were tight as to which space BABW wanted so desperately.
I think they were concerned word would get out and it would hamper their chances to get the space they wanted.

-

 

[MrPromey]

Was it now?
Well then I am not remembering correctly then…but I was sure it was one of the spaces in that area.
Perhaps the building to the right of it…name escapes me at the moment.

I’d have to look at an old map of DTD.
The space I had to guess at as even though I worked for the company back then, lips were tight as to which space BABW wanted so desperately.
I think they were concerned word would get out and it was hamper their chances to get the space they wanted.

-

Probably - not questioning the meat of your main point at all, though.

I just remember this because back in the day, parking was always a real nightmare on that end which was always the most popular because it was the side with all the Disney operated stuff. Often, the lot over there was closed due to capacity as early as mid-morning and I remember thinking Disney had lost their collective minds when they decided to tear up that entrance and remove parking to add more retail and consumer demand to this end of DTD when all the available parking was down in front of West Side.

I also remember being underwhelmed with the actual substance of the store when they were done and it was open because the shape of the building and the amount of space it took up didn't really seem to justify the way it was utilized, given it was purpose built and in such a valuable location.

I can understand why it may look like a retrofit that might have replaced a couple of other stores in the same building with the layout it has but nope, they designed it that way from the ground up.