Conn's
Former American retailer of appliances, electronics, furniture, mattresses, and related consumer-finance services.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Conn's was an American specialty retail chain that sold household appliances, consumer electronics, furniture, mattresses, and related services. The business developed from a plumbing and heating company established in Beaumont, Texas, in 1890 by Edward Eastham. After a period of bank ownership, Carol Washington Conn Sr. joined the company in 1933, purchased it in 1934, and renamed it Conn Plumbing and Heating Company. The business moved beyond plumbing and heating during the 1930s, adding refrigerators in 1937 and gas ranges soon afterward. This shift established the broad household-goods retail model that later defined Conn's. The company expanded gradually from its Beaumont base. A second Beaumont store opened in 1959, while Conn's service capabilities became more formalized in the following decade. C.W. Conn Jr., who joined the business after military service, founded Appliance Parts and Service in 1962 to provide repair and maintenance support. In 1964, he also co-founded Conn Credit Corporation, giving the retailer an in-house consumer-finance capability. These service and credit operations became important parts of Conn's value proposition, allowing the chain to sell higher-priced household products to customers through installment financing while providing repair and related support. Conn's began regional expansion outside Texas in 1969, opening stores in Lake Charles and elsewhere in Louisiana. During the 1970s it added locations in southeastern Texas and Louisiana. The company opened its first Houston store in 1983 and continued to broaden its Texas footprint. It reached its first $100 million sales-volume year in 1993 and opened its first San Antonio location that year. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Conn's added markets including Baton Rouge, Austin, Corpus Christi, and the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The company also brought in The Stephens Group as a financial partner during a 1998 reorganization. Conn's became a public company through an initial public offering on November 25, 2003, with its shares listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol CONN. Over time, the retailer expanded beyond its historical Texas and Louisiana base. It entered Arizona in 2012 and added Colorado, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Mississippi in 2014. Its retail offer included appliances, electronics, furniture, and mattresses, supported by delivery, distribution, installation, repair, financing, insurance, and other services. The combination of merchandise and credit distinguished Conn's from a conventional department store and exposed the company to both retail-demand cycles and consumer-credit risks. In December 2023, Conn's acquired Badcock Home Furniture & More from Franchise Group. The transaction substantially increased the combined store network, with the two brands together reported at roughly 500 stores at the time and later described as having nearly 600 locations. The acquisition occurred during a period of inflation, weaker consumer demand, and financial pressure. In July 2024, Conn's warned that it might seek Chapter 11 protection, citing declining sales, inflation, and difficulties associated with the Badcock acquisition. On July 23, 2024, it announced plans to close as many as 106 stores across the Conn's and Badcock banners and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Texas the same day. Reports the next day described a broader wind-down of the combined store network. Nasdaq subsequently notified the company that its shares would be delisted on August 6, 2024. Conn's and Badcock stores were permanently closed during the liquidation process, with closures completed shortly before the end of October 2024. The retail brand is therefore defunct, although historical references may still describe its former merchandise, financing, service, and regional retail operations.
History
Conn's traces its origins to Eastham Plumbing and Heating Company, founded by Edward Eastham in Beaumont, Texas, in 1890. First National Bank of Beaumont took control of the business and renamed it Plumbing and Heating, Inc. in 1931. Carol Washington Conn Sr. joined the company in 1933, bought it in 1934, and renamed it Conn Plumbing and Heating Company. The business diversified from plumbing and heating into household appliances. It began selling refrigerators in 1937 and soon added gas ranges. In 1940, the company moved into a store building at 268 Pearl Street in Beaumont. C.W. Conn Jr. joined the business in 1953 after serving in the Korean War. He emphasized dependable service and established Appliance Parts and Service in 1962. Two years later, he co-founded Conn Credit Corporation to provide financing for customers purchasing Conn's merchandise. A second Beaumont store opened in 1959. Carlton Russell Sr. became president and chief operating officer in 1966, when the company had four stores and reported a $4 million sales volume. Conn's began out-of-state expansion in 1969 with stores in Louisiana, followed by additional Texas and Louisiana locations during the 1970s. After Carol Washington Conn Sr. died in 1975, Carlton Russell Jr. became chairman. Under C.W. Conn Jr.'s direction, Conn's entered Houston in 1983. It opened its first San Antonio location in 1993, the year in which the company reached its first $100 million sales-volume milestone. Thomas Frank Sr. became chairman in 1994, and the business continued to expand, exceeding $200 million in sales volume by 1997. A 1998 reorganization brought in The Stephens Group as a financial partner. The chain subsequently entered Baton Rouge, Austin, Corpus Christi, and the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Conn's became publicly traded on November 25, 2003, after an initial public offering of 4.6 million shares. Its Nasdaq ticker was CONN. The company expanded into Arizona in 2012 and added Colorado, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Mississippi in 2014. Its business combined retail stores with appliance, electronics, furniture, and mattress sales; distribution and service; consumer financing; insurance; and related offerings. The company acquired Badcock Home Furniture & More from Franchise Group in December 2023. The transaction increased the combined footprint to approximately 500 stores initially, with subsequent reporting referring to nearly 600 Conn's and Badcock locations. The enlarged business encountered declining sales, inflationary pressure, and losses associated with the integration and performance of the Badcock acquisition. Conn's warned in July 2024 that it might seek bankruptcy protection, announced up to 106 store closures, and filed for Chapter 11 in Texas on July 23. Reports soon described a broader liquidation and wind-down of the combined network. Nasdaq issued a delisting notice, and the remaining Conn's and Badcock stores were permanently closed during the liquidation process, shortly before the end of October 2024.
- 2024
Chapter 11 filing and liquidation
[1]Conn's announces store closures, files for Chapter 11 protection, loses its Nasdaq listing, and winds down the Conn's and Badcock store network.
- 2023
Badcock acquisition
[1]Conn's acquires Badcock Home Furniture & More from Franchise Group.
- 2014
Further multi-state expansion and customer-service scrutiny
[1]Conn's enters Colorado, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Mississippi, while its customer-service and credit practices receive public criticism.
- 2012
Conn's enters Arizona
[1]The retailer opens a location in Tucson and later expands into the Phoenix area.
- 2003
Conn's becomes publicly traded
[1]The company completes its initial public offering and begins trading on Nasdaq under CONN.
- 1998
Corporate reorganization brings in The Stephens Group
[1]Conn's reorganizes and adds The Stephens Group as a financial partner.
- 1993
First $100 million sales-volume year and San Antonio entry
[1]Conn's records its first $100 million sales-volume year and opens its first San Antonio location.
- 1983
Conn's enters Houston
[1]The company opens its first Houston store and subsequently builds a substantial presence in the metropolitan area.
- 1969
Expansion begins outside Texas
[1]Conn's opens its first out-of-state stores in Louisiana.
- 1964
Conn Credit Corporation is established
[1]The company adds a retail-credit financing operation for Conn's customers.
Products and positioning
Conn's positioned itself as a broad household-goods retailer combining merchandise sales with consumer financing, delivery, service, repair, and related support. Its historical emphasis was on accessible household products and installment-credit purchasing, particularly for customers seeking to finance appliances, electronics, furniture, and mattresses.
Home appliances · 1937
Major appliances
Major appliances were central to Conn's retail identity from the late 1930s, when the company added refrigerators and gas ranges to its plumbing and heating business. The category included household equipment sold through stores and supported by delivery, service, repair, and customer financing.
Electronics
Consumer electronics
Conn's sold consumer-electronics products as part of its broader household-goods assortment. Electronics complemented appliances, furniture, and mattresses and could be purchased through the company's retail-credit programs and related delivery or service offerings.
Home furnishings
Furniture
Furniture became one of Conn's principal merchandise categories, positioning the chain as a destination for household furnishing as well as appliances and electronics. The acquisition of Badcock Home Furniture & More in 2023 further increased the combined furniture-retail footprint.
Bedroom furnishings
Mattresses
Mattresses were sold alongside furniture and other home products. They formed part of Conn's broad, financed household-purchase proposition rather than a standalone specialist format.
Consumer finance · 1964
Retail credit financing
Conn Credit Corporation, established in 1964, provided financing connected with Conn's merchandise sales. Credit helped customers purchase higher-priced household goods through installment arrangements and became an important operating feature of the retailer.
Repair and maintenance · 1962
Appliance Parts and Service
Appliance Parts and Service was created to provide repair and maintenance support for customers. The service operation reinforced Conn's emphasis on dependable product support and extended the relationship beyond the original merchandise sale.
Controversies
2014
Customer-service and high-risk-credit controversy
New York Times consumer-affairs coverage in July 2014 prompted a social-media backlash focused on alleged customer-service problems. Later coverage discussed allegations that Conn's offered credit to high-risk customers and referred to related litigation. The reporting also examined executive compensation incentives and stock sales in the context of the company's credit-driven operating model.
Brand decisions
2024
File for Chapter 11 and liquidate the store networkOtherBackground
Conn's reported declining sales, inflationary pressure, and losses associated with the Badcock acquisition.
Action taken
The company announced store closures, filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas on July 23, and proceeded with liquidation and closure of the Conn's and Badcock locations.
Aftermath
Nasdaq delisted the company's shares, and the combined retail network was permanently closed during the liquidation process in 2024.
2023
Acquire Badcock Home Furniture & MoreM&ABackground
Conn's sought to expand its furniture-retail footprint and overall store network.
Action taken
Conn's acquired Badcock Home Furniture & More from Franchise Group.
Aftermath
The combined network grew substantially, but the company later cited the acquisition, along with inflation and declining sales, as contributing to severe financial pressure and its 2024 bankruptcy filing.
1964
Create an in-house retail-credit operationStrategyBackground
Conn's customers needed financing for household appliances and other higher-priced goods.
Action taken
The company co-founded Conn Credit Corporation to provide retail-credit financing.
Aftermath
Financing became a continuing component of Conn's retail proposition and later a source of exposure to consumer-credit performance.
Recent events
- 2024
Conn's warns of possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing[1]
Bankruptcy
The company attributed severe financial pressure to inflation, declining sales, and difficulties connected with the Badcock acquisition.
- 2024
Conn's announces store closures and files for Chapter 11[1]
Bankruptcy
Conn's announced the planned closure of up to 106 Conn's and Badcock stores and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Texas on July 23.
- 2024
Nasdaq schedules delisting of Conn's shares[1]
Bankruptcy · Regulation
Nasdaq notified Conn's that its shares would be delisted on August 6, 2024, during the company's bankruptcy and wind-down.
- 2023
Conn's acquires Badcock Home Furniture & More[1]
M&A
Conn's acquired Badcock Home Furniture & More from Franchise Group, materially expanding its combined store network and adding a second furniture-focused retail banner.
Sources1 sources
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