Bellevue, Wash.-based Eddie Bauer may seek bankruptcy protection as soon as this week. Hilco Consumer Capital and others have reportedly expressed interest in the retailer's assets.The U.S. outdoor clothing chain, which opened its first store in 1920 in Seattle, recently reported a first-quarter loss of $44.5 million on sales of about $180 million. Eddie Bauer's Nasdaq Stock Market shares have lost 54 percent this year. In 2005, the retailer became an independent company after its parent Spiegel filed for bankruptcy protection. Eddie Bauer operates 371 stores in the U.S. and Canada, and also has products available through catalogs and at www.eddiebauer.com.
Other interested investors include CCMP Capital Advisors and Gordon Brothers Group, according to Bloomberg.
