J. Peterman, the quirky catalog retailer known for its wanderlust-infused product descriptions — made infamous by a running storyline on Seinfeld in the 1990s — appears to have gone out of business.
The websites run by J. Peterman and companion brand Territory Ahead are inoperative. Each features a landing page that reads, “This store is not currently taking orders.” Phone numbers listed for the corporate business and customer service are disconnected.
A lawsuit filed last month by the Ohio Attorney General’s office provides clues about what is happening at the company, also known as J.P. Outfitters. The complaint contains a litany of allegations, including that the company failed to deliver orders; failed to provide refunds for canceled orders or returned merchandise; denied refunds contrary to the company’s own policy; and made it difficult or impossible for customers to communicate with customer service. These would be violations of Ohio consumer laws, per court documents.
Based on the available details, J. Peterman’s “retail business is no longer in operation,” according to the Aug. 17 filing by Ohio Attorney General Andrew Wilson.
The direct-to-consumer company, which is based in Ohio, as of press time had not responded to the claims, according to Wilson’s office.
Neither founder John Peterman, listed on LinkedIn as chairman of the company, nor his son Tim Peterman, also listed as chairman until May, immediately responded to requests for comment about the state of the business or the Ohio lawsuit. Tim Peterman was also previously CEO and CFO of the company, from 2008 until 2015, according to his LinkedIn page.
J. Peterman has been in financial trouble before, including bankruptcy around the turn of the century, and various reports over the years suggest the struggles have continued.
In 1999, Peterman penned an article for the Harvard Business Review titled “The Rise and Fall of the J. Peterman Company.” He later bought back the J. Peterman intellectual property in order to embark on a comeback. Comedic actor John O’Hurley — who had played the send-up of J. Peterman on Seinfeld, thereby putting the eccentric catalog on the map — cut “a big check” for an unspecified amount to help shore up the retailer.
In 2018, the company was in business, but Peterman told Retail Dive at the time, “We’re too small to make a lot of money.”
Or, at least a few years later, any at all. According to 2023 financial filings as the company prepared to go public, J. Peterman incurred net losses of $3.6 million in 2021 and $5.7 million in 2022, and warned that “we expect to continue to incur significant losses in the future.” At that time, Santai Global Asset Management Limited owned a majority stake in the company, which didn't end up going public.
