You’ve seen the giant signs. Huge, cavernous buildings filled to the brim with wicker baskets, oversized floor vases, and enough artificial hydrangeas to fill a stadium. For decades, Old Time Pottery was the go-to for anyone trying to decorate a patio on a budget or find that one specific shade of teal rug. But lately, the parking lots have looked a little different. If you've been driving past your local branch and wondering is Old Time Pottery closing, the answer isn't a simple yes or no—it’s actually a story about a massive corporate rescue mission.
Things looked grim for a minute. Really grim.
Back in early 2023, the Murfreesboro-based retailer was staring down the barrel of some serious financial ghosts. They filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which is usually the heartbeat before a "Going Out of Business" sale starts. People panicked. They saw the headlines and assumed the brand was headed for the graveyard alongside Bed Bath & Beyond. But while the name "Old Time Pottery" is technically fading away, the stores themselves aren't just vanishing into thin air.
The Gabe’s Takeover: Why the Name is Changing
Here is the crux of the situation: Old Time Pottery was bought out. Gabe’s (officially Gabriel Brothers, Inc.) stepped in during the summer of 2023 to acquire the company. Gabe’s is a deep-discount chain out of West Virginia, and they saw an opportunity to expand their footprint across the Southeast and Midwest.
This is where the confusion starts.
When a company gets bought while in bankruptcy, the new owners usually do one of two things. They either kill the brand and sell the inventory, or they "rebrand." Gabe’s chose the latter. So, if you are asking is Old Time Pottery closing, the literal answer is that the brand as you knew it is being phased out, but the physical locations are largely being converted into Gabe’s stores. It’s a retail metamorphosis. You might walk into the same building where you bought your Christmas lights three years ago, but the sign over the door will soon say "Gabe’s."
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It’s a bit of a bummer for the nostalgics. There was something uniquely chaotic and charming about the Old Time Pottery layout. It felt like a treasure hunt. Gabe’s is a bit more structured, focusing heavily on apparel and footwear alongside home goods.
The Reality of Store Liquidation and Closures
Not every location made the cut. That’s just the cold reality of business.
During the bankruptcy proceedings and the subsequent merger, a handful of underperforming stores did actually shut their doors for good. For those specific communities, yes, Old Time Pottery closed. They looked at the leases, the foot traffic, and the overhead costs of those massive 100,000-square-foot floor plans and decided they couldn't make the math work.
- Florida saw some shifts.
- Locations in the Midwest were scrutinized heavily.
- Some leases were simply not renewed as Gabe’s consolidated the warehouse operations.
Honestly, the retail landscape in 2024 and 2025 has been brutal for big-box stores that don't have a massive online presence. Old Time Pottery was always a "see it to believe it" kind of shop. You couldn't really capture the scale of their pottery collection on a smartphone screen. That reliance on physical foot traffic made them vulnerable when inflation started squeezing everyone's "extra" budget for home decor.
Is the Inventory Changing?
This is what most loyalists actually care about. If you go to a converted Gabe’s, will you still find those legendary aisles of planters?
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Sorta.
Gabe’s is known for being an "off-price" retailer. Think of them like a mix between a T.J. Maxx and an Old Navy, but with a more rugged, bargain-basement feel. They’ve integrated a "Home" section into their stores that mimics the Old Time Pottery vibe, but the sheer volume of pottery and oversized furniture has been scaled back in many locations to make room for racks of jeans and stacks of sneakers. It’s a different shopping experience. It's faster. It's more about the "deal" on name-brand clothing than it is about finding a six-foot-tall giraffe statue for your foyer.
The transition hasn't been seamless everywhere. Some long-time fans have complained on social media that the "soul" of the store is gone. They miss the dusty rows of closeout items that felt like they’d been there since 1995.
Why the Bankruptcy Happened in the First Place
To understand why is Old Time Pottery closing became a recurring search term, you have to look at their debt. They were carrying a heavy load. When the pandemic hit, there was a brief surge in home improvement spending. Everyone was stuck inside looking at their ugly walls, so they went out and bought rugs and paint. Old Time Pottery benefited from that.
But then the supply chain broke.
Shipping costs for heavy items—like, say, literal pottery—skyrocketed. If it costs four times as much to ship a container of ceramic pots from overseas, and you’re a discount retailer who can't raise prices too much without losing your customer base, you're in trouble. The margins evaporated. By the time 2023 rolled around, the company was spread too thin. The Gabe’s acquisition was essentially a lifeline that prevented a total liquidation.
What to Expect If Your Local Store Is Still Open
If your local shop hasn't changed its sign yet, it's likely in the queue. Gabe’s has been methodical about the rollout. They don't just flip a switch; they have to retrain staff, install new point-of-sale systems, and rearrange the entire floor plan.
- Clearance Sales: Keep an eye out for "Transition Sales." These aren't always advertised as "Closing Sales," but they serve the same purpose. They want to move the old, bulky Pottery-era inventory to make room for the Gabe’s apparel lines.
- Gift Cards: This is a big one. If you have an old gift card, use it immediately. Usually, during these acquisitions, there is a hard cutoff date where the old brand’s credits become worthless.
- The "Vibe" Shift: Expect more clothing. A lot more. If you're going there specifically for a massive selection of outdoor cushions, you might find the selection narrowed down to the most popular styles rather than the "everything under the sun" approach of the past.
It's a weird time for retail. We're seeing this "consolidation" everywhere. Smaller, niche big-box stores are being swallowed by larger conglomerates that have better shipping contracts and more diverse product lines. It's efficient, sure, but it definitely feels a little less "local," even if Old Time Pottery was always a chain.
How to Track Your Local Store's Status
Don't rely on the old website. The digital presence for Old Time Pottery has been largely redirected or left to stagnate as the Gabe’s integration takes priority.
The best way to see if your location is part of the "closing" or "rebranding" list is to check local commercial real estate filings or simply call the store. Employees usually know a few months in advance if a major renovation or a permanent closure is on the horizon. In cities like Huntsville or Nashville, the transition has been very public. In smaller markets, the signs might just change overnight.
Actionable Steps for the Dedicated Shopper
If you are a die-hard fan of the brand, here is how you handle the next few months.
First, go now. If you have a project that requires matching items—like a set of six identical dining chairs or a dozen matching pavers—get them today. Once the store converts to a Gabe’s, the inventory system changes completely. They deal more in "opportunistic buys," meaning once an item is gone, it’s probably gone forever. They won't be ordering more of that specific 2022-line pottery.
Second, sign up for the Gabe's rewards program. If your store is converting, that’s where the coupons will be. They are aggressive with their "unbelievable" deals, and if you're already used to shopping at Old Time Pottery for the prices, you'll likely appreciate the Gabe's pricing model.
Third, manage your expectations. The "Old Time" part of the name was becoming literal. The stores needed a facelift. While it’s sad to see an iconic brand name fade, the alternative was an empty warehouse and a dead parking lot. At least this way, the jobs mostly stay, and the building stays active.
The era of the massive, specialized pottery warehouse is winding down. It’s being replaced by the "everything discount" model. It’s not necessarily better, but it’s the only way these giant physical spaces can survive in a world where everyone orders their coffee mugs from an app while sitting on the couch.
Check your local listings, use those gift cards, and grab that one giant concrete fountain you've been eyeing before it gets replaced by a rack of discount hoodies. The transition is happening fast, and by the end of 2026, the Old Time Pottery name will likely be nothing more than a memory and a few faded stickers on the back of some very sturdy planters.