At Home Group began the process to strengthen its financial foundation and position the business for long-term success while continuing to serve its customers.
The company has entered into a restructuring support agreement (RSA) with lenders holding more than 95% of the company’s debt that sets forth terms of a prearranged financial restructuring that will eliminate substantially all of the company’s nearly $2 billion in funded debt and provide a capital infusion of $200 million to support the company through its restructuring process and beyond. Pursuant to the RSA, following the consummation of its restructuring, the company expects there will be a transition of ownership of At Home to the lenders supporting the RSA and providing the company with new capital, including funds affiliated with Redwood Capital Management, Farallon Capital Management and Anchorage Capital Advisors.
“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with our lenders, which represents a critical and positive advancement of our work to best position At Home for the future,” Brad Weston, CEO of At Home, said. “Over the past several months, we’ve taken deliberate steps to strengthen the foundation of our business: sharpening our focus, elevating our customer value proposition and driving operational discipline. These efforts are aimed at delivering sustained sales growth, optimizing our inventory management, improving efficiency and enhancing overall profitability. While we have made significant progress advancing our initiatives to date, we are operating against the backdrop of an increasingly dynamic and rapidly evolving trade environment as we navigate the impact of tariffs. The steps we are taking today to fully de-lever our balance sheet will improve our ability to compete in the marketplace in the face of continued volatility and increase the resilience of our business for the long term.”
“We are grateful to be moving forward with significant support from our financial stakeholders, which demonstrates their confidence in our business and our future strategy,” Weston said. “Upon emergence from the prearranged restructuring process, At Home will move forward with new owners and a meaningfully strengthened balance sheet. Importantly, this process will also further equip us with opportunities to invest in our strategic initiatives and to continue fortifying our business for the long term. As we work through this process, our stores and the teams that support them remain customer focused and committed to serving and inspiring customers, enabling them to Design Their Life AT HOME.”
To implement the terms of the RSA, the company and certain of its subsidiaries have commenced voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. At Home is continuing to serve customers during the court-supervised process, providing exceptional value through affordable design and decorating solutions both in-store and online. Under the RSA, the company has agreed to certain milestones to ensure an orderly emergence from Chapter 11 as soon as practicable after the filing of the cases.
In connection with this process, At Home is entering into an agreement for $600 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, which includes the $200 million capital infusion from certain of its existing lenders and a “roll up” of $400 million of existing senior secured debt. The company’s existing lenders and ABL lenders have also consented to the company’s use of cash collateral during these Chapter 11 cases. Upon court approval, the company expects this financing, together with cash generated from At Home’s ongoing operations, will provide sufficient liquidity to support the business during the court-supervised process.
At Home has filed a number of customary “first-day” motions with the court to maintain business operations, facilitate the efficient administration of the Chapter 11 cases and uphold its go forward commitments to its stakeholders, including the continued payment of team member wages and benefits without interruption. At Home fully expects to pay vendors and suppliers in full under normal terms for goods and services provided after the filing date. The company expects to receive court approval for these requests in the near term.
Kirkland & Ellis is serving as legal counsel, PJT Partners is serving as financial advisor, AlixPartners is serving as restructuring advisor and Hilco Real Estate is serving as real estate consultant to At Home. Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher is serving as strategic communications advisor.
Dechert is serving as legal counsel and Evercore Group is serving as financial advisor to the ad hoc group of lenders.
