Art Van
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Furniture retail |
| Founded | Eastpointe, Michigan (1959) |
| Headquarters | Warren, Michigan, U.S. |
| Key people | Art Van Elslander |
| Products | Furniture |
| Revenue | US$440 million (1997 est.) |
| Employees | 4,000 |
| Website | www.artvan.com |
Art Van Furniture is a major furniture retail store chain based in Warren, Michigan. Thusfar, thirty-six stores have been opened in the state of Michigan, including many locations in Metro Detroit. In terms of sale, it is Michigan's largest furniture retailer, and the eighth-largest in the United States.
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[edit] Company history
In 1959, a young businessman by the name of Art Van Elslander opened the doors to a 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) Danish furniture showroom on Gratiot Avenue in Eastpointe, Michigan. Van Elslander found it easier to omit his last name when doing business, which eventually contributed to the naming of the store.
Van Elslander based his business on the principal of quick delivery. In most retailers in the United States at the time, there would be a long waiting period of weeks or even months on the delivery of the furniture. The business' slow success was based on the fact that the furniture was delivered almost immediately from Van Elslander's warehouse.
Detroit's automobile industry boosted the city's economy, and furniture sales soon skyrocketed. Van Elslander took up business partners to assist in the funding of seven additional outlets which were built by 1964. The economy soon went down, and Van Elslander was soon fearing the possibility of bankruptcy. Van Elslander opened up a liquidation tent at the Michigan State Fair the same weekend the Beatles were playing. Van Elslander eventually sold off three of his stores to business partners, keeping four of the outlets to himself. Van Elslander began to advertise his store in the early 1970s. It became well known to the Detroit area, advertising primarily its sales and free delivery services.
Around 1974, many Michigan furniture outlets began to fall into bankruptcy. Yet, Art Van still prospered, opening stores in nearby Michigan cities such as Lansing and Flint.
In 1987, Art and Gary Van Elslander, Chairman and President of the Art Van corporation, acquired an upper class furniture store, Scott Shuptrine, and bought three other stores, giving them the same name. The Shuptrine and Art Van stores had different demographics, making sales very diverse. Gary Van Elslander left the Art Van company in order to pursue the Shuptrine brand in 1989. The profits were not as vast because of higher competition for high-end furniture as well as the fact that most of the furniture was geared towards use by interior designers. As Art Van continued to grow, Shuptrine declined; ending up with two stores still intact.
In 1992, Van Elslander added clearance centers to his stores. These locations would sell products that were damaged or defective at a discounted price. The discounted goods added greatly to the outlets' business.
By 1997, the chain had grown to 26 stores. Its Warren store was expanded to fit in with its upper class customers, adding things like an atrium, a cappuccino bar, and a more luxurious selection of furniture, while keeping its mainstream selection intact. A play area for children was also added to the store, so the children could be supervised and occupied while their parents shopped. The company began to also build upon the shopping experience: walking people to their cars, washing customers' windshields, helping to load large purchases into their vehicles, etc.[1]
In 2009, the Art Van furniture company celebrated its 50th anniversary. To help celebrate, the company donated 50 bedroom sets to the Make A Wish foundation, one of many charitable contributions the company has made to its community. The company, which is known for being the largest furniture company in Michigan, is also the second ranked furniture company in the state as well, its clearance center being a separate company. Along with that, the company also controls over 50% of the bedding sales in the state. Interestingly, in 2010 the Art Van Furniture company profits were higher than the total sales of any other furniture company in Michigan, showing how large and reputable the company has become.
In January 2011, Art Van celebrated the Grand Opening of three new stores. These retail outlets included stores in Onaway and Petoskey, Michigan that were purchased from the Brubaker Family. The third new location marked the entrance of Art Van into a Mall environment with the opening of their Great Lakes Crossing store in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Today, Art Van Furniture operates 37 stores in 36 cities throughout Michigan and employs over 4000 associates.
[edit] Art Van Pure Sleep
In June 2009, Art Van Furniture opened its first Art Van Pure Sleep store in Canton Township, Michigan. This first of its kind, standalone store is offering a unique diagnostic system that fits the right "sleep system" to each individual person. The sleep system is a three-part solution that includes the proper mattress and foundation for proper support and comfort, the correct pillow to ensure correct spinal alignment, and a mattress protector to provide a clean and healthy sleeping environment.[2] Due to the success of the one store, Art Van is looking to expand the concept with a dozen or so stores and the conversion of its in-store bedding departments to a Pure Sleep format.[3]
