Art Van Furniture

Art Van Furniture was a leading home furnishings retailer in the Midwest that operated for more than sixty years before closing in 2020. As of December 2019, the company ran about 141 locations across several states, and its large-format stores were a familiar anchor in many power centers and highway retail corridors.

The business began in 1959, when founder Art Van Elslander opened a single store in Detroit, Michigan. He focused on selling value-oriented furniture and mattresses to working and middle-income households, gradually building a regional following. Over the next several decades, Art Van expanded across Michigan and into neighboring states, using broad assortments and big-box showrooms that combined furniture, bedding, and later clearance and outlet concepts. By the mid-2010s the chain had grown into a major regional player with more than 100 locations, including full-line Art Van Furniture stores, dedicated mattress shops under the Art Van PureSleep name, and a smaller number of Scott Shuptrine Interiors and outlet units.

A notable milestone came in 2017, when the Van Elslander family sold a majority stake in the company to private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners. That transaction shifted Art Van from family ownership to institutional backing and was intended to support further growth and concept updates. In the period that followed, management continued to refine formats and pursue expansion across the Midwest, but the company also faced mounting competition from national chains and e-commerce sellers, while carrying a substantial debt load from the acquisition.

Performance weakened in the late 2010s as same-store sales softened and the broader furniture sector became more competitive. In March 2020, after citing a difficult retail environment and heavy competition, Art Van Furniture filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced plans to wind down operations and close all company-owned stores. The case quickly converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation when the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted going-out-of-business events and further strained cash flow.

As part of the liquidation, Art Van disposed of nearly all of its real estate interests through lease terminations, property sales, and auction processes. The portfolio included a wide range of owned and leased big-box sites, many in high-visibility regional centers and freestanding highway locations that had long served as traffic drivers for adjoining tenants. These spaces were later backfilled by successors such as Loves Furniture, Bob’s Discount Furniture, and other regional and national furniture banners. When Loves Furniture itself entered bankruptcy, a second wave of large-format availabilities came to market, creating additional opportunities for backfill and redevelopment.

Today, Art Van Furniture no longer operates as a going concern and is not expanding. The original corporate platform has been fully liquidated, and there is no centralized real estate or store development team. Any remaining use of the Art Van name is tied to separate entities, such as former franchisees or successor owners, and does not represent a unified chain. For landlords, brokers, and developers, the brand’s legacy is most visible in the second-generation boxes and redevelopment plays that emerged from its exit, as well as the continued role its former sites play in shaping furniture and large-format retail competition across the Midwest.