
Clothing Maker Responsible For Mall Surf + Skate Brands Files For Bankruptcy
The company behind once-popular brands often sold in shopping malls across the U.S. has filed for bankruptcy.
You might not know the name Liberated Brands, but you're probably familiar with at least one of the clothing brands under the company's umbrella.
Bankruptcy And Store Closings In 2025
Whether it is the after effects of a rough 2024 or a sluggish start in the new year, multiple chains and brands are already struggling in 2025.
- Party City is closing all of its stores after 40 years
- Macy's started the year with plans to close 65 stores in January alone
- Kohl's plans to close at least 27 stores across 15 states before April
(KEEP SCROLLING FOR FULL LIST OF CHAINS CLOSING LOCATIONS IN 2025)
Needless to say the first quarter of 2025 hasn't been easy when it comes to retail, and it's likely not getting better anytime soon.
The latest to fall victim to financial struggles is Liberated Brands.
Liberated Brands Responsible For Familiar Clothing Names
According to a recent report from TheStreet.com, Liberated Brands has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Many of the brands under the Liberated name were once prominently featured at one-time shopping mall stalwart PacSun. Even with the downturn in mall shopping, PacSun still operated more than 300 stores, today.
TheStreet.com named Quicksilver, Volcom, Billabong and Roxy as all being part of California-based company in recent years. Many of those brands have since migrated out of malls and into larger standalone retail stores like Walmart and Sam's Club.
The website says the license rights for some of the brands were "terminated as a result of a default under license agreements" in December 2024. This allegedly led to vendors "holding back in-transit inventory."
Chains That Are Closing or Have Closed Locations in 2025
Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll
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