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Art Van Furniture, the metro Detroit-based company and the Midwest’s top furniture and mattress retailer, announced Thursday it is shutting down and will begin liquidation sales at all of its company-owned stores in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio.
The announcement comes just three years after the company’s sale by the Van Elslander family to a private-equity firm.
Boston-based private-equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners bought a majority stake in Art Van Furniture in early 2017, about a year before the death of company founder Archie Van Elslander at age 87.
“Despite our best efforts to remain open, the company’s brands and operating performance have been hit hard by a challenging retail environment,” Diane Charles, Art Van Furniture spokeswoman, said in a statement.
The liquidation sales will begin Friday, March 6 at all Art Van Furniture, Art Van PureSleep and Scott Shuptrine Interiors in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri, as well as select Wolf stores in Maryland and Virginia.
Art Van has a total of 176 stores in nine states, according to its website. Twenty of the stores are franchise locations.
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Started in 1959 as a single store in East Detroit (now Eastpointe) by Archie Van Elslander, Art Van Furniture thrived for years in Michigan as a mid-priced retailer that was especially popular with first-time homebuyers. It is now headquartered in Warren, Michigan.
The Art Van spokeswoman added, “On behalf of the company we want to offer our sincere appreciation to our employees for their dedication, commitment and hard work. We also want to extend our gratitude to the many customers, vendors, franchisees, charities and communities who have supported these retailers.”
Follow Detroit Free Press reporter JC Reindl on Twitter @jcreindl.
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