Anchor Blue Declares Bankruptcy

Anchor Blue, which grew out of the Miller Outpost chain in Ontario, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and plans to close all of its 117 retail outlets.

In the Chapter 11 announcement, the company said it has started going-out-of-business sales at all stores “with strong discounts offered to consumers to sell off the inventory and maximize store sales throughout the wind-down period.”

The chain declared bankruptcy for the first time in August 2009, but emerged with a series of initiatives to position the company for future growth, including new merchandise, reduced overhead costs and a new store concept.

Miller's Outpost, which was founded in 1948 by two brothers Dave and Lou Miller, was later changed to Miller's Surplus until the brothers split. In 1980, the firm was sold to Amcena Corp., which gave Miller's popular jeans the brand name of Anchor Blue.