Circle Furniture, a retailer with eight locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, appears to have abruptly closed all of its stores days before Christmas, according to a message posted on the company’s website.
A notice on the Circle Furniture website said, “All Circle Furniture Locations are CLOSED Till Further Notice.” The apparent closures affect stores in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood, Acton, Cambridge, Framingham, Hyannis, Middleton and Pembroke, as well as a store in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The company also has a warehouse and outlet store in Acton.
The sudden shutdown matters for employees and customers across the region during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year, and it raises questions about what happens next for workers and any pending orders. As of Tuesday, Circle Furniture had not publicly provided details about the closures beyond the website message.
The Boston Globe reported that employees learned about the closures on Friday through an email. The Globe reported the email said, “With a heavy heart, circumstance [sic] have gone against the business and we can no longer afford to continue operations, therefore all employees are being let go including your position effective Dec. 23.”
The Globe reported the Acton-based furniture seller had about 65 employees. Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, companies with more than 50 employees are generally supposed to provide 60 days notice before a mass layoff. However, as of Tuesday, no WARN filing from Circle Furniture had appeared on the state website, according to the CBS Boston report.
The closures include the company’s Hyannis store, which had opened in May, according to the report.
On its website, Circle Furniture describes itself as “a family run business that has been around for almost 70 years.” The company says it is “dedicated to providing a wide selection of unique, quality furniture with a team of talented designers to help you every step of the way,” and that it aims to be part of the local community “both by working with local factories and supporting local charities.”
WBZ-TV reported it reached out to Circle Furniture for comment. As of the publication of the CBS Boston report, no further response from the company was included.
It was not immediately clear from the information in the report how long the closures will last, whether the company plans to reopen, or what guidance customers should follow regarding existing orders, deliveries, or warranties.
