La Habra-based Howard’s Appliance opened an “experience store” in Murrieta in 2023. The nearly 80-year-old appliance retailer is abruptly shuttering all of its Southern California stores Dec. 6. (Photo courtesy of Howard’s)

The sudden closure of the Howard’s Appliance chain is another sign of the new reality of how Californians buy big-ticket items that fill their homes.

Most shoppers no longer seek out these goods at modest specialty merchants like Howard’s in Southern California or anywhere else. Rather, consumers primarily go to three big-box merchants: Lowe’s, Home Depot or Best Buy.

In the wake of this evolution in shoppers’ preferences – not to mention the turmoil of the pandemic era – Howard’s, with a legacy dating back 79 years, joins California’s long list of appliance/electro

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