How GA Group Delivered the Largest Liquidation in U.S. Retail History

No one executes large and complex deals with more speed, coordination, or sophistication.

GA leveraged its structural playbook—refined through past large-scale liquidations —and worked closely with Oaktree Capital to deliver a guaranteed outcome to creditors. Deep experience in the craft and enthusiast retail category allowed GA to tailor store-level strategies that respected the nuances of JOANN's customer base. Simultaneously, GA's in-house auction team and M&E division moved quickly to monetize corporate FF&E, while the Wholesale Solutions group flipped out-of-season inventory and overstock through established buyer networks. The real estate team unlocked leasehold value across 18 million square feet, coordinating sales and negotiations in parallel with store operations. Supporting all of this was a nationwide field force, deployed to manage all 790 stores across 49 states with precision. Tying it together was a powerful marketing engine—not just to drive traffic, but to preserve brand equity and ensure a controlled message across paid, owned, and earned channels. It was this level of orchestration across capital, real estate, wholesale, marketing, and operations that enabled GA to turn a high-risk scenario into a high-return result.