Montchanin-based Calvert Retail received a court OK to purchase North Carolina retailer Southern Season for $3.5 million, the News & Observer reported.
The sale was approved by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge.
Calvert operates half a dozen Kitchen & Co. stores as well as two Reading China and Glass stores in Pennsylvania. Kitchen & Co. has stores in the Christiana area and near Rehoboth Beach.
Kitchen & Co. stores specialize in upscale offerings that include high-end barbecue grills.
Southern Season ’s large Chapel Hill store features gourmet food, kitchenware and other items. Kitchen & Co. has similar offerings in a smaller store format.
Southern Season has an online operation as well as brick and mortar stores. Calvert will buy the flagship store in Chapel Hill, NC and web operations, with the company’s other locations to close.
In an effort to stay afloat, Southern Season had opened smaller gourmet food stores with 2,000 square feet of space, with one location opening in late June. Those stores will close.
Privately held Calvert Retail, according to the News & Observer story, bought the store out of bankruptcy and sale of Reading China & Glass, which at one point operated three dozen stores, with its headquarters in Newark.
Calvert Retail did not respond to a request for comment on the possible sale.
