Brendle's

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

Brendle's was a chain of catalog showrooms based in Elkin, North Carolina, USA. Its showrooms carried jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics. At its peak in 1990, Brendle's operated 58 showrooms in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. ^[1]

The company announced it was closing in 1996 a few months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a second time.

[edit] History

The company began in 1918 as a wholesale grocery-distributing business.^[2] In 1953, Douglas D. Brendle, the grandson of the company's founder, joined the business. He began stocking toys and houseware items, becoming the company's first wholesale showroom. In 1957, Brendle began publishing the company's first catalog.

At its peak in 1990, Brendle's had 3,000 employees.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1992, closing six stores ^[3].

Brendle's then filed for Chapter 11 for a second time in April 1996. The company, whose struggles mirrored Service Merchandise, closed 18 stores and tried to reinvent itself as a craft and party store, eliminating consumer electronics, toys and sporting goods. Company officials ultimately decided to close by the end of that year. ^[4]

The company was headquartered on North Bridge Street in Elkin.

After retiring from Brendle's, Doug Brendle opened Doug Brendle's Natural Health Superstore.