Howard's Appliance abruptly closes all Southern California stores

https://www.dailybreeze.com/2025/12/05/howards-appliance-abruptly-closes-southern-california-stores/amp/

A week after Black Friday sales, the nearly 80-year-old Howard’s Appliance chain is shuttering all of its Southern California stores, offering only a day’s notice to employees and nothing to customers with orders in limbo.

The notice, signed by Isaiah Padilla, the logistics general manager for Howard’s, said the company was closing its business operations, effective Dec. 6, due to “circumstances beyond our control.”

The company began in 1946 as a radio repair shop in San Gabriel and later evolved into one of Southern California’s leading independent appliance retailers, expanding into televisions and mattresses.

Howard’s was based in La Habra for years before consolidating operations in 2024 to a new headquarters in 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.

S5 Equity Managing Director Baudelio Bueno did not return a phone call Friday seeking comment.