Brookstone Inc., whose quirky products are a staple of airport shopping, is preparing to close most of its stores as part of a bankruptcy filing, Bloomberg News reported. A filing could come as soon as this month, though the company is still evaluating its stores and may opt to keep locations open in airports. “We are currently seeking ways to revitalize our retail business,” the company said in a statement. Brookstone has 140 stores in the U.S., including 36 in airports, according to its website. The site lists five locations in Atlanta’s airport alone. This would be Brookstone’s second trip to bankruptcy court since 2014, when the Merrimack, N.H.-based company filed a chapter 11 petition with a deal to sell its assets to Spencer Spirit Holdings Inc. for about $146.3 million. A group of Chinese buyers backed by retailing conglomerate Sanpower Group and Hong Kong-based private-equity firm Sailing Capital subsequently outbid Spencer with a deal valued at about $174 million.
