Tweeter Brand Up for Sale

The Tweeter brand is up for grabs.

The Canton, Mass.-based specialty electronics retailer that once had nearly 200 locations across the U.S. shut its doors in Dec. 2008.

However, it's possible that its brand soon will be back from the dead.

Atlanta-based liquidator Apto Solutions is accepting bids for Tweeter's intellectual property, including its name and URLs, according to Christopher Re, VP of business development for Apto.

All bids are due by Nov. 30, 2009, says Re, who is handling the bidding process. "Then a deposit is due Dec. 7 and a closing will take place on Dec. 16," Re adds.

While Re can't reveal the bidders, he does say "some are national retailers."

Tweeter's intellectual property includes several regional brands that it acquired during its East to West expansion:

• Bryn Mawr Stereo & Video (Pa.)
• HiFi Buys (Ga.)
• Home Entertainment (Texas)
• United Audio (Ill.)
• Big Screen City (Calif.)
• Dow Stereo (Calif.)

Re says the sale of Tweeter's brand could be one sale. "A similar scenario to [Circuit City's] Systemax dealer," he says. But it's also possible Tweeter's brands could be sold separately.

"Because of the strong brands Tweeter had in several markets, it could end up being several deals instead of one," Re explains.

Circuit City had its intellectual property sold to Systemax for $14 million in May 2009. The new owner quickly re-launched CircuitCity.com and reports say the site is performing well.

Owning Tweeter's brand or brands is "an incredible opportunity for either an established retailer or a new retailer," Re adds. The purchaser, he says, will "benefit from Tweeter's brand, market presence and reputation."

Most of the profits from the sale of Tweeter's intellectual property will go to secured lenders, which Re names as Wells Fargo and Schultze Asset Management. Schultze purchased Tweeter in 2007 after its first Chapter 11 filing.

Related: 5 Electronics Retailers That Came Back From the Dead