There’s no better time to close a business and lay off all your employees, but an unexpected shutdown right before Christmas hits workers even harder.
“US-based employers announced 71,321 layoffs in November,” according to an analysis by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a 24% year-over-year increase.
Challenger, Gray & Christmas is a long-standing outplacement and labor analyst firm that has tracked U.S. workers and hiring trends for more than three decades and is frequently cited by economists, policymakers and major news organizations.
According to Andy Challenger, the firm’s chief revenue officer, the practice of laying just before the holidays fell out of fashion during the Great Depression.
“Many companies had a tendency to announce layoff plans at the end of the year to align with the fiscal year-end. This became particularly unpopular after the Great Recession, and best practice would be to have layoff plans at times other than the holidays,” Challenger wrote.
Sometimes, however, companies have no choice, and employees of Circle Furniture, a more than 70-year-old New England chain, learned on Dec. 23 that it would be closing “until further notice,” according to the company’s Web page.
This made it unexpectedly close to Christmas Eve for the workers.]
“It’s a concept dreamed up in the fiery pits of HR and consulting hell. No one who’s gone through the experience would ever do that to another human being,” Kelly Smith, partner and principal consultant at brand strategy and creative agency Thinkhaus Idea Factory, wrote on LinkedIn.
Employees of Circle Furniture received information about the store’s closing via a companywide email on Dec. 19 and another email on Dec. 23 saying they were being laid off, according to a Boston Globe report.
“With a heavy heart, circumstances have gone against the business, and we can no longer continue operations; therefore, all employees, including your position, will be let go effective December 23rd,” read the layoff email.
The company’s website notes the closure, but warns that the closure may not be permanent.
Before Christmas 2025 – Employees were notified via company-wide email that Circle Furniture is closing all store locations “until further notice,” signaling major operational changes ahead, according to Furniture Today.
December 23, 2025: Employees received another email confirming that effective Dec. 23, the company “will no longer be able to continue operations,” Patch reported.
Late December 2025 (around December 23-24): All Eight Circle Furniture stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire were sudden stop“All Circle Furniture locations are closed until further notice,” shared NBC Boston with the official website.
The Boston Globe reported that the furniture chain had about 65 employees. Companies with more than 50 employees are required to give 60 days’ notice before mass layoffs, but none of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) filings from Circle Furniture had appeared on the state’s website as of Tuesday.
Established as a family business in the early 1950s: Started as Circle Furniture A Family-operated retailer in Cambridge, MassachusettsStarted by members of the Tubman family, quickly establishing itself as a local home goods store. According to Furniture Today, the business grew from its small beginnings in Putnam Circle (now Putnam Square) into a well-known regional furniture retailer.
Expanded into New England over the decades: In nearly 70 years, Circle Furniture expanded beyond its original store Multiple showroom locations throughout Massachusetts and New HampshireBoston’s Seaport neighborhood, including Acton, Framingham, Cambridge, Hannis, Middleton, Pembroke (MA), and Portsmouth (NH), added Furniture Today.
Family owned with a focus on quality and community: For much of its history, the company emphasized High quality furniture, craftsmanship, and community involvement. It acquired many products from local and American manufacturers and positioned itself as a retailer of timeless, well-made home goods, the company shared on its website.
Growth in the mid-2000s and beyond: At various points in its history, Circle Furniture continued to adapt and grow. For example, in 2004 the company opened a fifth Massachusetts store in Denver, Massachusetts, expanding its showrooms to better serve customers in different areas of the state, according to Furniture Today.
Rebranding and proprietary development: Businesses should identify themselves as a Third generation, family owned retailer and continued to operate showrooms in the Greater Boston area until its closure. The profiles show that leadership and ownership have evolved over time while maintaining the Tubman legacy through much of its operations, the Better Business Bureau reported.
When a chain has not filed for bankruptcy, workers can claim back wages if it files, or should it be terminated without a formal filing.
“An employer who violates the WARN Act notification requirement is liable to each affected employee for an amount equal to back pay and benefits for the period of the violation for up to 60 days.” According to the US Department of Labor.
Workers or unions can sue in federal court to enforce their rights under WARN. The Department of Labor has no enforcement authority under WARN and does not investigate complaints or bring lawsuits to enforce the warning.
There are three situations where a company does not have to provide a warning notice, according to the US Congress.
TCompany exceptions are: Employers may provide short notice for plant closings, but not for collective jumps, if they were seeking financing or business for their vulnerable enterprises and thought they had a realistic chance of obtaining sufficient funds or new business to allow the facilities to remain open.
Unforeseen Business Circumstances Exception: Employers may provide less notice if they cannot reasonably foresee business conditions due to plant closings or mass layoffs.
Natural disaster exceptions: Employers may also give notice of layoffs due to natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, droughts, or hurricanes. If a plant closure or mass layoff is due to a natural disaster, the exception will not apply; However, unforeseen business circumstances may be an exception.
According to the Boston Globe, although the company was facing some difficulties, the employees did not expect to walk off the job.
“They had some financial difficulties that they were trying to sort out and work around, but that’s all I know,” said Jonathan Boyle, who has been with the company for nearly 40 years. “It’s not a big situation.”
Circle Furniture did not return requests for comment from multiple media outlets.
American Signature Inc/Value City Furniture: The parent company of American Signature Furniture and Value City Furniture Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 22, 2025And announced plans to close several stores as part of its restructuring, Furniture Today reported.
Price City Furniture (Michigan locations): After the Chapter 11 filing, the lot Value City Furniture stores in Michigan are closing A liquidation sale began in late 2025 as part of a restructuring process, according to Or Here Detroit.
At Home (Home Decor + Furniture Chain): Filed for Chapter 11 on June 16, 2025Citing debt and industry pressures. During the bankruptcy process, the chain identified several store closings (including six additional closings announced in July), Furniture Today reported.
American mattress: A regional furniture retailer that Filed for Chapter 11 in mid-July 2025It plans to close about 52 stores (mainly in Illinois and Indiana), though some locations in other states were to remain open, according to TheStreet.
RELATED: Popular women’s fashion retailer closing nearly 200 stores
This story was originally published by TheStreet on December 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a preferred source by clicking here.
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