In 2023, longtime customers of Sundance Catalog started receiving “everything must go” emails — and many are still searching for a clear answer about what happened. If you are one of them, here is a direct breakdown of what occurred, what it means for customers, and what to watch out for going forward.
The Short Answer — Sundance Catalog Has Effectively Closed
Yes, the original Sundance Catalog business is gone. Sundance Living, which had been operating under that name after previously being known as Sundance Catalog, shut down all 16 of its retail stores and ended its catalog operations in 2023.
The corporate parent, Sundance Holdings Group, transferred its assets to a liquidation firm called Corbin Liquidation in July 2023. That is not the move of a company taking a temporary break or rebranding. It is the formal process of winding down a business entirely.
This was not a reorganization. The company did not file for bankruptcy protection and emerge with a restructured plan to keep operating. Based on reporting from CoStar and Retail Dive, the business conducted closing sales, cleared out inventory, and ceased operations. If any new entity has since acquired the Sundance brand name and launched a new operation, that would be a separate venture — not a continuation of the original company.
A Brief History — From Robert Redford to Sundance Holdings Group
Sundance Catalog was founded in 1989 by actor and filmmaker Robert Redford in Salt Lake City, Utah. The brand was built around a Western and artisan lifestyle aesthetic, drawing loosely from the same spirit as the Sundance Resort in Utah.
It is worth being clear about one common point of confusion: Sundance Catalog, Sundance Resort, and the Sundance Institute (the organization behind the well-known film festival) are separate entities. They share a name and some historical roots, but they operate independently.
Redford sold the catalog company in 2004 and has had no involvement in its operations since then. The business continued under new ownership, eventually operating as Sundance Living under the corporate umbrella of Sundance Holdings Group. Some former designers and longtime customers have noted publicly that the brand’s creative direction shifted noticeably after Redford’s departure — moving away from a handcrafted, rustic aesthetic toward a more generic style. These are individual perspectives, but they reflect a pattern of sentiment that tracked the brand’s later years.
What the 2023 Bankruptcy and Liquidation Actually Involved
According to reports from CoStar and Retail Dive, Sundance Holdings Group initiated a wind-down process following a bankruptcy filing in mid-2023. This triggered a full closure rather than any restructured continuation of the business.
All 16 store locations were closed. Stores in markets such as Salt Lake City, Utah and Westport, Connecticut ran going-out-of-business sales, with “entire store on sale” signage posted prominently. Retail Dive described the business as being in its “final days” and reported that most store locations had already closed by the time the closing sale was publicly announced.
The discounts during this period reached as high as 90% off — a figure consistent with a liquidation event, not a standard seasonal clearance. Customers were also notified by email that the catalog business would be shut down, and online closing sales ran alongside the in-store events.
The asset transfer to Corbin Liquidation in July 2023 was the clearest structural signal. Once a liquidation firm takes possession of a company’s assets, the original business no longer controls them. That is the end of the road for day-to-day operations.
How the Closure Affected Customers, Vendors, and Gift Card Holders
For many customers, the closure created immediate practical problems — outstanding orders, unused gift cards, and questions about returns. Here is what that situation looks like in practice.
Gift Card Holders
In a liquidation scenario, gift cards frequently lose their redeemable value once a liquidator takes control. There is no guarantee that a liquidating company will honor them. If you are holding a Sundance gift card, the practical steps are to check for any official bankruptcy or court notices involving Sundance Holdings Group or Sundance Living, and to contact your state’s consumer protection office for guidance. Do not assume the card still has value without verifying through official channels.
Customers With Unfulfilled Orders
If you placed an order that was never fulfilled, you may be considered an unsecured creditor in the liquidation process — which generally means you are low on the priority list for repayment. Your most direct route to recovering funds is to file a chargeback with your credit card issuer if the order was never delivered. Most card issuers allow chargebacks within a set window, so act promptly.
Small Vendors and Artisan Suppliers
The closure also hit small independent suppliers hard. One jewelry designer, Sarah DeAngelo, publicly alleged that Sundance Living failed to pay for her jewelry while simultaneously liquidating that same inventory at steep discounts and refusing to return unsold pieces. These are her individual allegations, not confirmed legal findings, but the situation illustrates a real risk that independent vendors face when a mid-sized retailer enters liquidation. Unpaid invoices in a bankruptcy process typically become unsecured claims, which are difficult to collect.
How to Spot Scam Sites Using the Sundance Name
After the original company closed, reviewers on Trustpilot began warning that at least one website using the “Sundance Catalog” name was not the real brand — with some calling it an outright scam. This is not unusual when a well-known retail brand shuts down. Opportunistic sites sometimes adopt the name to attract former customers who are not yet aware of the closure.
There are several warning signs to watch for:
- Unusually deep discounts — “80–90% off everything” long after the official liquidation period ended is a red flag.
- No verifiable company information — A legitimate business will have a clear address, registered contact details, and traceable ownership.
- Poor customer service or no response at all — Multiple complaints about non-delivery with no resolution is a strong warning signal.
- Domain age mismatches — A site claiming to be an established brand but registered recently is suspicious. You can check domain registration dates using publicly available WHOIS lookup tools.
If you find a site using the Sundance Catalog or Sundance Living name and are unsure whether it is legitimate, check independent review platforms and look for any official corporate disclosures before making a purchase. The original company has not confirmed any continuation of its operations under new ownership, so any such site would warrant careful scrutiny.
Why Did Sundance Catalog Struggle?
The specifics of Sundance Holdings Group’s internal finances have not been fully disclosed in public reporting, so it would be speculative to pin the closure on any single cause. However, the broader context is not hard to identify.
Catalog-based retailers have faced serious structural pressure over the past decade. Print catalogs have become expensive to produce and less effective at driving sales. Online customer acquisition costs have risen sharply. And mid-sized specialty retailers operating physical stores face stiff competition from large e-commerce platforms and fast-fashion alternatives.
Sundance occupied a niche lifestyle segment — artisan jewelry, Western-influenced clothing, home decor — that requires either a very loyal customer base or consistent brand differentiation to sustain. Whether those factors eroded over time after the ownership change is a matter of interpretation, but the outcome is clear.
For broader coverage of retail closures and business news, The Business Flick tracks developments across the retail and business sectors on an ongoing basis.
What Consumers Should Do Now
If you are a former Sundance customer dealing with the aftermath of the closure, here are the most practical steps to take:
- Search for official bankruptcy or court filings related to Sundance Holdings Group or Sundance Living to understand the status of consumer claims.
- Contact your credit card issuer about chargebacks for any orders that were never delivered.
- Do not assume any website currently using the Sundance Catalog name is the original company or a legitimate successor without confirming its corporate identity.
- If you are a vendor with unpaid invoices, consult a legal professional about filing a claim in the bankruptcy proceedings.
The Bottom Line
Sundance Living, formerly known as Sundance Catalog, has effectively gone out of business. The company closed all 16 of its retail stores, shut down its catalog operations, and transferred its assets to a liquidation firm in 2023. This was a full wind-down, not a pause or a rebrand.
Robert Redford founded the business in 1989 but sold it in 2004 and has had no role in what followed. The Sundance Catalog that many customers knew for decades no longer exists as an operating entity.
If you encounter any website or promotion using the Sundance Catalog name, approach it carefully. Verify its legitimacy before providing payment information or placing an order. The original brand is gone, and the name is now unprotected territory that others may exploit.
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