Art Van is one of Metro Detroit’s most known retail names. And very soon, it will be gone.
Art Van Furniture, started by Art Van Elslander in 1959 in East Detroit, became a regional powerhouse in their industry. However, in recent years, it hasn’t kept up with changing tastes and conveniences like online shopping.
The closure of the Warren, Michigan-based chain will also impact their Art Van Puresleep and Scott Shuptrine Interiors stores in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri.
The company had about 3,700 employees and at one point was the top furniture retailer in the midwest.
Founder Art Van Elslander helped save the America’s Thanksgiving parade here in Detroit and was very active in philanthropy in the area up until his death in 2018. The company was sold to Thomas H. Lee Partners in 2017.
All company stores will close and liquidation sales begin this Friday, March 6.
Two cents take: For brands, it’s adapt or die. Like so many large companies before them, Art Van didn’t take their resources to adapt. They became irrelevant to most people in the face of Wayfair, Ikea, and others. It’s sad to see this many people lose their jobs, and it’ll be a blow for the city of Warren where they have their headquarters and a warehouse that’s more than 40 acres.