Aloha Daze

After being on the island for about 4 years, Ashley Furniture, a discount furniture store, closed it’s doors last Friday (Nov 10 2006).

Up until then, it was business as usual. Making promises that they would never keep, it would seem. I’m sorry, but don’t tell me that you make sells all week long, but get up Friday morning and say “Well, today I think we’ll close!” The powers that be had to know ahead of time that they were about to close the doors.

A word to the saavy buyer: avoid Ashley Furniture stores. This was the only one we had on the island (perhaps in the state). But there are still many other stores back on the mainland. How would you feel if they’d taken the money and run? Bought a couch, but now wondering if you’ll ever sit in it, or see the money ever again?

When I’d heard about this from a local radio station on Saturday night, I happen to be driving by the location at the time. So, I stopped by the store. All the windows had brown paper covering any view to the inside. On the outside sat a security guard. He mentioned how it was pretty much a madhouse on Friday morning, with customers beating on the doors trying to get answers.

I’ve often said that on an island like this, you can’t take people for granted: they’ll remember you. If the company/group/whoever that is behind Ashley Furniture think they’ll be back in business on this island any time soon, then they’re smoking a special kind of plant that isn’t sold in stores. This group has screwed the people, and they’re going to remember that for a good, long time.

See the Star Bulletin column, or visit Ashey Furniture’s official website. (That is, if they haven’t closed it, too.)

RLR