- Hub Furniture will close its Westbrook store after 55 years, with a clearance sale this December.
- Unsold Westbrook inventory will move to the flagship five-story Portland Old Port store.
- Closure reflects broader retail pressures from inflation, tariffs, high mortgage rates, and weak furniture demand.
It’s always a bit bittersweet when a local institution decides to shutter one of its doors, especially one that’s been around for generations.
Hub Furniture, a Portland mainstay since 1913, is saying goodbye to its Westbrook location after more than 55 years in business there.
The store, which has been a go-to spot for Maine families looking for everything from sofas to mattresses, will wrap things up after a clearance sale this December.
Owner Sam Novick, whose grandfather helped found the company over a century ago, opened up about the decision in a recent interview.
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“We’ve been there a long time,” Novick said.
“My mother worked and managed that store for some 50 years, so it was a very meaningful location.”
Details of the Retail Store Closure
He explained that the Westbrook spot just wasn’t cutting it anymore—it’s too small, and shoppers were often heading straight to the bigger Portland store instead.
The good news? Hub isn’t going anywhere completely.
Unsold inventory from Westbrook will simply move over to the main five-story store in Portland’s Old Port district, housed in a historic former chewing gum factory on Fore Street since the 1960s.
Shoppers can still browse top brands like Ashley Furniture, Bassett, Sealy, and Tempur-Pedic for living room sets, dining tables, home office pieces, and more.
But this closure doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The furniture retail world has been hit hard lately, with economic pressures squeezing chains big and small.
Retailers Face Economic Headwinds Amid Inflation and Tariff Woes
Inflation-driven rises in labor and product costs, higher tariffs on imports, and a sluggish housing market—thanks to elevated mortgage rates and property values—have made it tough for people to splurge on new furnishings.
When fewer homes are bought or sold, furniture sales often take a nosedive.
Hub’s story echoes what’s happening across the country.
Take Outten Bros. Home Furnishings in Salisbury, Maryland—a 78-year-old spot that closed its doors for good on November 30 after a liquidation sale.
Or New Deal Furniture in El Paso, Texas, another 78-year veteran that’s in the “Final Phase” of its going-out-of-business sale, though they haven’t set an exact end date.
Then there are the bigger names facing serious distress.
American Signature Inc., parent to American Signature Furniture and Value City Furniture, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 22.
They operate around 120 stores nationwide with thousands of employees, but blamed a sharp drop in sales on “one of the most severe housing market declines in recent history,” plus inflation, high interest rates, tariffs, and a post-pandemic dip in demand.
Co-chief restructuring officer Rudy Morando laid it out plainly in court filings: the company boomed during COVID but has struggled mightily since.
Before the bankruptcy, they announced closing all four Nashville-area stores.
Other filings this year include Landmark Furniture’s parent Brenmark Inc. on November 9, Walker Edison on August 28, American Mattress in July, and 5th Avenue Furniture in June.
Even Buddy’s Home Furnishings had a franchisee seek Chapter 11 protection on December 4 to stave off foreclosures and possibly sell as a going concern.
Home Goods is Feeling the Pinch
It’s not just furniture—retail in general is feeling the pinch, but home goods seem especially vulnerable when housing stalls.
Industry watchers point to slower home sales, with buyers holding off on big purchases like new couches or beds.
Add in supply chain headaches and cost increases, and it’s no wonder so many iconic spots are downsizing or shutting down entirely.
For Hub Furniture, though, this seems more about consolidation than collapse.
Founded back in 1913, it’s weathered plenty over 112 years and plans to keep serving customers from that flagship Portland location.
Novick noted that many items in Westbrook are already marked down, making it a prime time for bargain hunters before everything shifts downtown.
If you’re in the area, it might be worth a trip to snag a deal and say farewell to a piece of local history.
After all, places like this don’t just sell furniture—they become part of the community’s fabric.
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Also Read: A Massive Convenience Chain Now Closes 500 Stores
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