- American Signature Furniture is closing all four Nashville-area stores as part of a strategic restructuring, starting immediate 20–40% store-closing sales.
- The furniture industry faces weakening demand, higher costs, and bankruptcies, prompting widespread store closures and cautious recovery expectations.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For 77 years, American Signature Furniture has been a go-to spot for families outfitting living rooms, dining areas, and bedrooms across the Midwest and Southeast.
But on Oct. 16, the Columbus, Ohio-based chain delivered tough news to its Nashville customers: all four local stores are shutting down, marking a full exit from the Tennessee market as part of a larger restructuring push.
The closures hit locations in Clarksville, Franklin, Madison, and Murfreesboro, with no exact end date announced yet.
The FrankNez Media Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.
Store-closing sales kicked off immediately, slashing prices 20% to 40% on everything from sofas and dining sets to mattresses and rugs.
It’s a bittersweet farewell for a retailer that’s weathered decades of economic ups and downs since its founding in 1948.
“This is a strategic business decision focused on our long-term growth priorities,” said Pat Sanderson, the company’s chief operating officer, in a statement.
He added a note of gratitude amid the gloom, stating, “While we’re sad to say goodbye to Nashville, we’re incredibly grateful to our customers here who’ve welcomed us into their homes over the years.
We invite them to take advantage of this limited-time event, where they can find beautiful furniture at truly exceptional values.”
How is the Furniture Business Industry Doing?
American Signature, which also runs the Valley City Furniture brand, still operates 122 stores across 17 states, employing more than 3,200 people overall.
The company didn’t disclose how many jobs might be lost in Tennessee or mention any WARN Act notices for advance layoff warnings.
But the move underscores a harsh reality gripping the furniture world: rising costs, sluggish sales, and a post-pandemic hangover that’s forcing tough choices.
The sector’s been on shaky ground all year.
According to SmithLeonard Accountants & Consultants’ September 2025 Furniture Insights report, new orders dipped 9% in June compared to May, then bounced back 6% in July — but they’re still down 1% year-to-date versus 2024.
Shipments followed a similar rollercoaster: off 2% from June to July, but up 3% from last July.
Inventories and payrolls are holding steady-ish, though employment’s edged down over the past six months as companies let natural attrition run its course without hurried hiring.
Inflation’s jacked up labor and product prices, tariffs are biting harder, and the echoes of COVID disruptions linger.
Big-ticket items like furniture are suffering as folks hold off on major buys amid high interest rates and a cooling housing market.
“Home furnishings retailers have yet to rebound from the post-pandemic slump,” noted Hyunsoo Rim in a Forbes analysis earlier this year, pointing to drops in first-quarter sales across low- to high-end players.
Nashville isn’t alone in feeling the pinch.
Just this week, the ripple effects showed up in other corners of the industry.
A Growing Trend of Furniture Stores Closing in America
Take At Home, the Texas-based home decor chain: after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 16, it’s shuttered or plans to close 31 stores nationwide by late September, including spots in California, New Jersey, and New York.
That’s about 10% of its roughly 260 locations pre-filing.
The company blamed “broader economic and retail-specific market pressures” like inflation and tariff worries, with assets and liabilities both clocking in between $1 billion and $10 billion.
“Given the expenses associated with brick-and-mortar operation and the issues affecting the retail industry, a number of the remaining stores are operating at sub-optimal performance levels,” court documents revealed.
Liquidators at Hilco Consumer-Retail are overseeing sales with up to 30% off, though coupons don’t apply to deals, and all buys since Aug. 1 are final.
At Home had about 7,170 employees when it filed; the closures add to the strain.
Then there’s the outright liquidations that hit harder. New Deal Furniture in El Paso, Texas — a family-run staple since 1947 — announced it’s closing for good after evolving from a general mercantile into a full home furnishings hub.
Similarly, Outten Brothers Home Furnishings in Salisbury, Md., threw in the towel amid the same cost crunches.
The carnage started early in 2025. Business of Home tallied over 1,000 home-related store closures in the first two months alone, spiking 69% from the prior year per Coresight Research.
Brands like Big Lots, LL Flooring, Conn’s, Badcock Home Furniture & More, and American Freight all slashed footprints.
Conn’s bankruptcy in particular dragged down Badcock, wiping out hundreds of stores.
Joann and The Container Store are pending full wind-downs, while Party City — with its home goods sideline — is shuttering everything by March’s end.Even legacy players aren’t immune.
The RoomPlace liquidated all 26 Illinois stores in early 2025 after a 2024 Chapter 11 filing.
Trees n Trends, a six-state Southeast chain peddling decor, outdoor gear, and fashion, surprised fans by closing without bankruptcy, citing rising rents, labor costs, and tariff uncertainties under the Trump administration.
Customers mourned online: “I hope you know how many people loved Trees n Trends… There is nothing here locally that compares. It’s a sad, sad day,” one wrote on Facebook.
Conn Scott, a 47-year-old Delaware fixture with a 101-year-old flagship, began liquidating in May without formal bankruptcy.
Rosso Furniture & Décor, another California veteran from the late 1960s, followed suit by shuttering its San Bernardino outlet.
And Walker Edison, an 80-year-old ready-to-assemble giant, filed Chapter 11 in late August, joining American Mattress (nearly 100 stores gone in July) on the list of fresh casualties.
Is This the End for the Furniture Business Industry?
Not every story’s a downer. Some analysts see glimmers — shipments ticked up year-over-year in July, and firms like RH, Arhaus, Floor & Decor, and Havertys are eyeing net store growth as the market bottoms out.
TAGeX Industries predicted positive openings for 2025 overall.
But for now, the vibe’s cautious.
“Softness in big-ticket furnishings and furniture will persist until interest rates come down,” GlobalData’s Neil Saunders told Forbes.
“At present, people are more willing to buy smaller things as part of simple home refreshes.”
Back in Nashville, shoppers are snapping up deals before they’re gone.
One Franklin regular, browsing a half-off sectional, shrugged it off, stating, “Hate to see it go, but hey, my wallet’s thanking them.”
As American Signature refocuses on stronger markets, the hope is these cuts pave the way for stability — for the chain and the wobbly world of furniture retail at large.
Also Read: A Massive Convenience Store Now Closes 500 Stores
