For Stakeholders
What did West Marine Announce?
On May 17, 2026 West Marine announced it reached an agreement following discussions with key advisors to pursue a restructuring process that will address the Company’s capital structure and maximize stakeholder value. To implement the agreement, West Marine filed for voluntary protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
Stakeholder Commitments
Employees
Please know that West Marine is operating as usual. There is no change to your day-to-day role and responsibilities, and we are paying wages and providing other employment benefits as usual.
We are grateful for your continued commitment to our business. We’ve navigated choppy waters before, with all hands on deck, leading to greater success than we have experienced in some time, and we’ll navigate this one together – as One Crew.
Customers
West Marine is open for business throughout this process. We are operating as usual in stores, online, through the West Marine Pro App, and across all our channels. Delivering for our customers remains our top priority, and we have shelves full of the right product that is fairly priced, and the solutions you need to get on the water.
Vendors
Your partnership means a great deal to us, and these steps are designed to ensure we can continue working together for years to come. We appreciate your support throughout this process. It is essential to getting our customers out on the water.
Partners
West Marine is operating as usual throughout this process, and we intend to honor the contracts and commitments made prior to the Chapter 11 filing. We value our partnership with you, and your commitment to the industry matters deeply to us.
General
After productive discussions with our key financial stakeholders and external advisors, we have reached an agreement to pursue a restructuring process that will allow us to address our capital structure while maximizing value. In order to implement the transaction, West Marine has filed for voluntary protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. This is a deliberate, strategic move to best position our business for long-term success and ensure that we can continue serving the boating community well into the future.
Like many in the boating community, we've been operating in a challenging environment, facing headwinds with supply chain disruptions, extreme weather events, and reduced demand compared with pandemic peaks. In response, we have been actively evaluating strategic options to best position our business for long-term success.
Chapter 11 is a proven legal tool that allows companies to operate as usual while they achieve their financial goals. Chapter 11 is not a liquidation process, and we are not ceasing operations. Many well-known retailers have gone through the restructuring process and emerged healthier on the other side including The Container Store, GNC and J. Crew, and that is exactly what we intend to do.
We are continuing to provide the exceptional service and marine products our customers have come to expect, because at West Marine, the customer comes first. During this process, our day-to-day operations will continue as usual – in stores, online, through the West Marine Pro App, and across all our channels. There will be no changes to Crew Members' day-to-day responsibilities or how we serve our customers.
No. Chapter 11 is a proven legal tool that allows companies to operate as usual while they achieve their financial goals. Chapter 11 is not a liquidation process, and we are not ceasing operations. Many well-known retailers have gone through the restructuring process and emerged healthier on the other side including The Container Store, GNC and J. Crew, and that is exactly what we intend to do.
This filing has no connection whatsoever to product safety, quality, or regulatory compliance. Our marine products continue to meet all safety standards, and our commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality boating supplies remains unchanged.
Employees
There are no changes to your day-to-day role, responsibilities, or the reporting structure as a result of this announcement. We will continue to operate as usual throughout this process, and we have every intention of fulfilling our obligations to our stakeholders – including Crew Members. Our current priorities remain the same, and we are committed to continuing to provide the exceptional service and marine products our customers have come to expect.
No. We are paying wages and providing other employment benefits as usual and have taken all necessary steps to continue to protect your best interests throughout this process. That includes the filing of motions with the Bankruptcy Court to protect our Crew Members' interests, ensuring we have the ability to pay wages, provide health insurance, honor retirement programs, and maintain other employment benefits without interruption. These motions are standard in Chapter 11 cases, and we expect that they will be approved within the first few days of the case.
Customers
West Marine is operating as usual – in stores, online, through the West Marine Pro App, and across all our channels. Delivering for our customers remains our top priority. We have shelves full of the right product, fairly priced, and the solutions you need to get on the water. We remain committed to providing the exceptional service you have come to expect, because at West Marine, the customer comes first.
Yes, while we are assessing actions to take to address our capital structure and other company obligations, West Marine stores will remain open during this process. Rest assured, you can still rely on West Marine for all the marine products and gear to get you on the water, both in store and across our other channels.
Inventory availability across locations will not be heavily impacted by this announcement. We remain committed to equipping our customers with the right core marine products and gear.
Vendors
West Marine will continue to operate as usual and with limited disruption throughout this process, and we intend to pay our vendors in the normal course of business for goods and services delivered after the date of our Chapter 11 filing. We deeply value our partnership with you, and we are thankful for your continued trust, business, and partnership. Importantly, the actions we are taking are designed to secure West Marine’s long-term success and allow us to be a stronger partner to you for years to come.
We do not anticipate significant changes to our inventory needs during this process. We are continuing to operate and remain committed to maintaining the product selection and availability our customers expect, and we appreciate your cooperation to make that happen. As we move through our restructuring, we will continue to work closely with our suppliers to ensure we are ordering appropriately to meet customer demand. Any adjustments to ordering patterns will be communicated directly to affected suppliers in advance. Our goal is to maintain strong partnerships and ensure continuity of supply throughout this process.
Yes. West Marine is operating with limited disruption throughout this Chapter 11 process. Our stores remain open, our e-commerce platform continues to serve customers, and we are fulfilling orders and providing the same level of service our customers have come to expect. We have taken all necessary steps to ensure business continuity, including filing motions with the Bankruptcy Court to maintain our ordinary course operations. This restructuring is designed to address our capital structure so we can continue serving the boating and fishing community for years to come.
Partners
West Marine is operating as usual and remains committed to our partnership programs. We intend to continue honoring our agreements and working with our partners throughout this process. The restructuring is designed to address our capital structure so we can continue to be a reliable partner for the long term.
We do not anticipate changes to affiliate agreements or commission structures at this time. We intend to continue paying commissions for post-petition sales in accordance with existing agreements. If any changes become necessary, we will communicate them to our partners in advance.
Yes. We intend to honor existing affiliate contracts and continue our partnership programs throughout the Chapter 11 process. Our goal is to maintain strong partnerships as we work through this restructuring.
Pros
West Marine Pro is continuing to operate as usual. We remain committed to serving our professional customers with the same level of service, product availability, and support you have come to expect. The restructuring is designed to address our capital structure so we can continue to be a reliable partner for professional mariners and commercial operators.
Yes. The West Marine Pro program will continue to operate throughout the Chapter 11 process. We are maintaining our dedicated Pro team, honoring existing Pro accounts and pricing agreements, and continuing to fulfill orders for our Pro customers. Our commitment to serving the Pro marine community remains unchanged.