Wren kitchens abruptly shut down its US showrooms Thursday afternoon ET, leaving customers and employees with few answers and immediate financial fallout. Several customers and former workers say they learned of the closure only after the company moved to close stores and showrooms effective immediately. The shutdown has left some buyers facing unfinished projects, while more than three dozen employees say they are suddenly out of work.
Orders halted, jobs lost, and questions unanswered
Melissa Dethlefsen said she had $23, 000 worth of cabinets and countertops ordered for her kitchen, with delivery expected this coming Wednesday. She said the project was already difficult for her family of five, and the sudden stoppage made the situation feel devastating. After a call from her contractor late Thursday night, she said she learned Wren kitchens had shut down and that the items were unlikely to arrive.
Former employees described a fast and chaotic shutdown. Anes Hodzic, who worked as a manager in the Newington showroom, said workers were told on a Zoom call around 3 p. m. Thursday that all US showrooms and stores were closing immediately. He said the doors were locked by 4 p. m., and staff were not given pink slips or other formal notice. Hodzic said the computers went black as employees left the office.
Wren kitchens customers now turn to banks and forms
Melissa said she has not heard directly from Wren kitchens and that she paid by debit card and check. Her bank is now investigating, but she said she does not know what can be recovered. She also said the company’s website directs customers to fill out a form, though she does not expect a meaningful response. Melissa said she briefly reached someone at the UK offices Friday morning, and that person told her staff had been told to be prepared for calls from the United States and not to speak to the press.
Hodzic said he received his last paycheck Friday and then learned he no longer has insurance. He said workers were given nothing about customers, nothing about severance, and nothing that explained what comes next. Both Hodzic and Melissa said they want accountability and want customers made whole.
Immediate reactions from those left behind
“As a family of five, it’s been hard to live in one room essentially. To be so close and then to have it ripped away, it’s like devastating, ” Melissa said. “Not that I want to be spiteful, but like somebody has to be held accountable for this, ” she added.
Hodzic said, “We got nothing regarding customers, regarding some sort of severance for the employees, nothing really. ” He also said, “I wanted to talk to you guys because I feel like the media and the public will put a little pressure on them to make sure these people get their money back. ”
What happens next for Wren kitchens
For now, the main uncertainty is whether customers can recover money already paid and whether former employees will receive any further notice or compensation. Wren kitchens has not responded to calls or emails, leaving the shutdown unresolved for both customers and workers as of Friday ET. The case now turns on whether banks, payment disputes, or any follow-up from the company can produce answers in the days ahead.
