Howard’s Appliance Inc., the longstanding retail chain in Southern California that cited tariffs and declining consumer spending for its collapse , filed for bankruptcy protection late Wednesday, Dec. 10, listing up to $17.2 million in liabilities.

Howard’s was based in La Habra for years before consolidating operations in 2024 to a new headquarters at 111 N. Baldwin Park Blvd., in the City of Industry. It was acquired in April by S5 Equity, a private equity firm based in Newport Beach, to help with the cash-starved company’s turnaround.

Lawyers for the company filed plans for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles. In Chapter 11, the company continues to operate under the supervision of a court-appointed trustee, with the goal of emerging from bankr

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