What Soft Surroundings does

Soft Surroundings is a U.S. women's apparel retailer that sells direct to consumers through its e-commerce website (softsurroundings.com, built on BigCommerce) and a print/digital catalog operation. Founded in 1999 in St. Louis, Missouri as a female-founded boutique brand, the company targets women across inclusive sizing (XS-3X) in three fit categories — Misses, Petites, and Women's Plus — with an emphasis on comfortable fabrics, artful details, and exclusive designs not commonly found at mass retailers. The product assortment spans clothing (dresses, tops, pants, jeans, sweaters, jackets, swimwear, sleepwear), shoes and accessories (jewelry, scarves, handbags, hats), and a growing Home & Wellness category (bedding, window coverings, wellness items).

The business model is primarily one-time product sales through DTC channels, supplemented by a subscription-based loyalty program (MySoftSurroundings Rewards), which offers 10% back on purchases, 5% back at 1,200+ marketplace retailers, shipping rebates, and a 30-day free trial converting to monthly billing. E-gift cards add a secondary revenue stream. The company markets through social (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn), email, catalog, SMS (text JOINSOFT to 20246), and content/inspiration merchandising, and ships to U.S. addresses only (Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, USVI, Guam, and APO/FPO). Customer support is handled by phone (1-800-240-7076) and online. Underlying technology is a standard BigCommerce storefront with integrations to PayPal, major card networks, Narvar for returns, and Google Maps for address lookup; generative AI tools are used for marketing image enhancement.

In September 2023, Soft Surroundings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, secured $18 million in debtor-in-possession financing from Gordon Brothers, and entered into a Restructuring Support Agreement to sell its assets to Coldwater Creek, a sister brand under Newtimes Group ownership. The company is now an affiliate of Coldwater International LLC and has reorganized around its direct-to-consumer and e-commerce channels. It is privately held (Soft Surroundings International, LLC, incorporated in Delaware), with a corporate headquarters in Creve Coeur, Missouri and a distribution center in St. Louis, and employs 501-1,000 people.

Name

Soft Surroundings

Legal name

Soft Surroundings International, LLC

Website

https://softsurroundings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Soft Surroundings is a privately held, female-founded U.S. women's apparel retailer selling direct-to-consumer via e-commerce and catalog, offering inclusive XS-3X clothing, accessories, and home/wellness products, currently operating as an affiliate of Coldwater Creek under Newtimes Group following its 2023 Chapter 11 restructuring.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Apparel Retail

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110)

SIC

Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Petite & Plus-Size Specialty Department Stores (CRAGAGAF)

Keywords

• Women's apparel
• Boutique clothing
• Plus size fashion
• Home wellness
• Direct-to-consumer retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Maryland Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Retail sales of women's apparel, accessories, and home goods through e-commerce and catalog channels. Products include clothing (dresses, tops, pants, jeans, sweaters, jackets), shoes, jewelry, and home & wellness items. Individual item pricing varies by product category.
2. Loyalty Program Subscription: MySoftSurroundings Rewards is a subscription-based loyalty program offering 10% back on purchases, 5% back at marketplace retailers, shipping rebates, and return shipping rebates. The program includes a free 30-day trial followed by monthly subscription renewals.
3. Gift Cards: E-gift cards sold online, delivered via email within 2 hours of ordering. Redeemable online or over the phone.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Soft Surroundings is a direct-to-consumer women's apparel and lifestyle retailer selling clothing, footwear, accessories, and home/wellness merchandise in inclusive sizes XS–3X (Misses, Petites, Women's Plus) through its owned e-commerce site, mailed print catalog (with phone ordering), and a paid subscription loyalty program. The assortment centers on proprietary boutique-style designs positioned between mass-market and luxury price points, complemented by gift cards and a MySoftSurroundings Rewards subscription that returns 5% back.

Product overview

Soft Surroundings is a women's apparel retailer operating as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform and catalog business. The core offering centers on women's clothing in sizes XS-3X across three sizing categories (Misses, Petites, Women's Plus), complemented by Shoes & Accessories and Home & Wellness categories. Product lines include dresses, shirts, blouses, knit tops, pants, jeans, sweaters, jackets, swimwear, and sleepwear. The business model includes a loyalty rewards program (MySoftsurroundings Rewards) and gift card products. The company operates exclusively through its website and catalog channels, having emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women's Clothing

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Coldwater CreekcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2023Coldwater Creek entered into a Restructuring Support Agreement with Soft Surroundings to acquire the company's assets through a sale process. Coldwater Creek, facilitated by Newtimes Group ownership, will continue operational support through the asset sale. Soft Surroundings reorganized around its direct-to-consumer and e-commerce channels as part of this restructuring.
• Coldwater International LLCminorOthersColdwater International LLC is identified as an affiliate of Soft Surroundings in the privacy policy. Customer data is collected from this affiliate, and marketing communications may be shared between the entities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Coldwater Creek: Women's specialty apparel DTC and catalog retailer serving a similar Boomer/Gen X customer with comfortable, artful clothing. Coldwater Creek is also the asset acquirer of Soft Surroundings under Newtimes Group, making it the closest comparable in model, customer, and channel mix.
• Chico's FAS: Multi-brand specialty women's apparel retailer (Chico's, Soma, White House Black Market) targeting women 45+ with comfortable, artful designs. Closely comparable customer demographic, sizing philosophy, and emphasis on exclusive private-label styles.
• Talbots: Classic women's specialty apparel retailer offering Misses, Petites, and Plus sizing — directly mirroring Soft Surroundings' inclusive size strategy. Comparable mature, quality-focused customer and similar price-to-value positioning.
• J. Jill: Women's specialty apparel brand focused on natural fabrics, relaxed styling, and the 40+ demographic. Highly comparable in target customer, comfort-led value proposition, and DTC-plus-catalo distribution legacy.
• Christopher & Banks: Women's specialty apparel retailer serving the 40-60 age demographic with casual and dressy everyday wear. Comparable in customer demographic and inclusive sizing approach, though with a stronger mall/store footprint.
• Lane Bryant: Leading specialty plus-size women's apparel retailer (Ascena-owned). Comparable in its focus on the Women's Plus segment that Soft Surroundings also serves, with overlapping customer for size 14+ apparel.
• Boden: UK-origin DTC women's apparel brand selling colorful, artful designs primarily through catalog and e-commerce. Comparable in DTC-plus-catalog model, distinctive proprietary designs, and emphasis on quality fabrics.
• Ann Taylor (Ascena): Women's specialty apparel retailer (formerly part of Ascena Retail Group) serving career and casual dress occasions. Comparable in women's specialty positioning and inclusive sizing programs.
• Cato Corporation: Specialty value women's apparel retailer operating Cato, It's Fashion, and Versona. Comparable in serving value-oriented women shoppers across Misses, Plus, and Junior sizing through a store-and-online footprint.

Emerging players

• Tuckernuck: Online women's boutique curating distinctive, artful apparel and home goods from emerging and established brands. Comparable in curated boutique aesthetic and home-category crossover, though with a younger, more affluent customer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/softsurroundings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soft-surroundings
• Instagraminstagram.com/soft_surroundings
• Pinterestpinterest.com/softsurrounding
• Xx.com/robinatsoft

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Soft Surroundings