US furniture retail company Art Van had to shut down its showrooms during the weekend after an "overwhelming" amount of people had gathered in its stores to take advantage of its liquidation sale. The soon-to-be-closed company mentioned on Saturday that the decision was made to ensure the public's safety and to allow it to restock its stores.
The mayor of the city of Warren, Jim Fouts, mentioned on social media that he had ordered local police officers to shut down the company's stores after receiving reports of massive traffic jams and altercations between customers.
Art Van claims that the decision to shut down its stores was made by the company and was not a result of an order given by government officials. Nevertheless, the city of Warren announced that it will be billing the company for the police assistance. The company will reportedly also be charged by the city for its failure to fulfilling its commitments regarding its tax abatements over the past three years.
Art Van spokesperson, Diane Charles, clarified that they have received reports of overwhelming traffic in all of its stores, including stores outside of Warren, Michigan, where the company is headquartered. The reports had led to the company's decision to close its stores over the weekend.
The 61-year old furniture company officially launched its liquidation sale on Friday last week, a day after it announced that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to reports, the closure of the company will result in over 31,000 people losing their jobs nationwide.
The furniture company is one of the Warren, Michigan's largest taxpayers, paying more than $2.2 million a year in the city. For the past six decades, the company has been one of the nation's largest retailers. Unfortunately, the past few years had resulted in it completely draining its funds, leading to its decision to file for bankruptcy.
The company is currently the subject of several complaints from both customers and employees following its sudden announcement that it would be filing for bankruptcy. Several customers have reportedly been denied refunds for items they had already paid a down payment on. Others were denied refunds for furniture warranties they had already paid for before the announcement.
The company initially started out with one store built by Warren resident Art Van Elslander in 1959. It has since expanded to over 190 stores in nine states, including those in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, and Illinois. The company also branched out to other brands, including iconic name brands such as Scott Shuptrine Interiors, Levin Furniture, Wolf Furniture, Gardiner Wolf Furniture, Art Van PureSleep, and Art Van Flooring.
