National Christmas Retailer Files For Bankruptcy Right Before Holiday Season

Well, this is not exactly the festive pregame we were hoping for.

A national holiday retailer with several online brands has filed for bankruptcy just before the start of the Christmas shopping season. Gordon Companies Inc filed on September 14th.

The company operates e-commerce sites including Christmas Central, Christmas.com, Northlight and Pool Central. Yes, even Pool Central, because apparently Christmas lights and above-ground pool covers live in the same retail universe now.

The bankruptcy filing comes at a tough time, with many families already starting to shop for decorations, trees, lights and all the little holiday extras we swear we are “not buying this year” — and then absolutely buy anyway.

It is not yet clear what the filing will mean for customers, orders or holiday inventory. Shoppers who recently placed orders may want to keep an eye on shipping updates, confirmation emails and refund policies.

Because nothing says “holiday magic” quite like checking tracking numbers while drinking reheated coffee in the carpool line.