ApplianceSmart has closed three of its Minnesota stores; two remain open

The company became a victim of more retailers selling appliance closeouts.

August 17, 2019 at 3:16AM
Apple Valley store manager Jim Callahan (foreground) stands on the huge sales floor among the ranges. The store has appliances of all kinds, ready to buy right off the sales floor. GENERAL INFORMATION: APPLE VALLEY, MN. 3/19/2003: This is a business story, to be used as a centerpiece, on a thriving local business, ApplianceSmart Factory Outlet, a business that takes appliance closeouts, factory overruns and discount models and sells them at discount prices. It has three other outlets in the Twin
In 2003, store manager Jim Callahan stands on the huge sales floor among the ranges at ApplianceSmart Factory Outlet. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

ApplianceSmart recently closed three of its five Minnesota stores in Apple Valley, St. Paul and Rochester. The Champlin and Maplewood stores remain open.

Early in the week, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reported that all five stores would close within the next 60 to 90 days and 55 employees would lose their jobs.

However, employees who answered ApplianceSmart store phones in Champlin and Maplewood on Friday said there is no plan to close the two remaining locations in Minnesota. Calls to a supervisor were not returned.

The website still lists five stores in Minnesota, three stores in Georgia and one in San Antonio. On Friday, calls were answered only in the Champlin, Maplewood and San Antonio stores.

At the company's peak, it had more than 20 stores nationwide, including nine stores in the Twin Cities. But many competitors selling appliance closeouts and overstocks joined in, including hardware store chains and in the Twin Cities, MN Home Outlets.

ApplianceSmart offers liquidation pricing due to its models being previous season models, overstocks, closeouts, open-box, imperfects and special buys.

It was once owned by Appliance Recycling, formerly of St. Louis Park and Hopkins, and was sold in 2018 to Live Ventures of Las Vegas.

Despite the diminishing number of stores, Live Ventures' CFO Virland Johnson said in the second-quarter earnings report in May, "We believe ApplianceSmart has turned the corner, and we expect a full recovery in our third fiscal quarter."

Appliance Recycling was founded in 1976 by Jack Cameron.

John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633

about the writer

about the writer

John Ewoldt

Reporter

John Ewoldt is a business reporter for the Star Tribune. He writes about small and large retailers including supermarkets, restaurants, consumer issues and trends, and personal finance.  

See More