About American Merchandise Liquidators, Inc.

Two decades ago, a friend who was looking for a qualified businessman to help him establish an auction warehouse in southern Alabama, approached American Merchandise Liquidator’s founder, Gerald Hughes. Intrigued by the prospect of such a business, Hughes took a small amount of investment capital, leased a building in a prime location, bought a couple of truckloads of customer returns from a major department store, and enlisted the help of friends and family to unpack and assemble the merchandise. They advertised their newly established business and held their first auction just in time for the approaching Christmas season. And was it ever successful!

Like any good business person, Gerald Hughes refined his business model and what once was an occasional Saturday night action, became a full-time retail store.

The news of his success spread like wildfire and, before long, a major mail order company knocked on his door, looking for a turnkey solution to move their excess inventory. Not one to let an opportunity go unseized, Hughes snatched up over forty truckloads of the company’s mail order returns at a fraction of their original cost.

During this time, eBay was in its infancy and new sellers were hungry for products to stock their virtual shelves. Hughes began to grasp the enormity of this opportunity and further refined his marketing plan launching AML into the virtual world and becoming one of the first liquidation companies to have a website and online presence.

eBay and AML weren’t the only businesses in their infancy. Big box retailers were, too, and with their growth came additional opportunity for Hughes and AML. AML quickly became the go-to solution for companies who were overwhelmed with customer returns and shelf-pulls. AML also assisted liquidation store openings across the USA, supplying truckloads of inventory to dozens of new start-ups. In addition, Gerald Hughes wrote a how-to instructional manual for other entrepreneurs who were interested in the liquidation business. That manual is now in its third edition and is entitled, “Liquidation 102”.

In 1996, AML moved its new corporate headquarters to Foley, AL where there have been eight additions to the building as the company grew. With over $100,000,000 in sales, AML remains a leader in the liquidation industry, still offering assistance to newcomers and seasoned pros alike.

It’s often said that one company’s problem is another company’s treasure. And, this one sentence sums up the whole of the American Merchandise Liquidators business.