Earlier this month, Ashley Furniture suddenly shut down — leaving its workers without jobs and customers without merchandise.


A liquidation sale there Friday pitted hundreds of customers against each other — the chaos so bad that police officers had to be called in to control the crowds.

KITV’s Catherine Cruz was at the furniture store and was on hand for more than what was expected.

It was a line that seemed to stretch on forever.

On one side were disgruntled customers who already paid good money for furniture that was never delivered.

“If we are not going to get cash, let us get furniture Give us first priority,” said customer Leilani Cordes. “We are not getting first priority, and you hear the people in the back. The line goes all the way around the other side. It’s not fair. They already got our money.”

On the other side were bargain hunters who lined up since dawn, and who weren’t about to see anyone else get in before them.

“You want first dibs, yes. We want first dibs they. Need to give us some satisfaction,” said customer Ernest Taniguchi.

Mall security was concerned about a bad situation getting worse and called for police backup, Cruz reported.

“I’d like to see Ashley Furniture on the mainland help the many people who have been in the short end of the stick,” said Marty McClain, of McCalin Auctions, who will be handling the liquidation sale for mainland creditors.

McClain was trying hard to keep things under control.

“If it was me, I’d open the store and let them take what they wanted, but I can’t do that,” McClain said.

But many in the crowd couldn’t believe what was unfolding before them.

“I didn’t come for furniture; I came here to see the chaos that’s going to happen when they open the doors,” said Bruce Spencer.

At the back of the line, shoppers were oblivious to the pushing and shoving that was happening up front.

Things would eventually calm down once customers were provided forms to file complaints against the company and numbers for those waiting their turn to get in.

About 1,000 people eventually made their way through the store as of late Friday afternoon.

The liquidation sale runs through the weekend with an auction of the remaining inventory to come at a later date.