Art Van Furniture going out of business, closing all stores across country

Art Van Furniture on Thursday announced it is going out of business and that liquidation sales will begin on Friday at its stores across the country, including those in Batavia and Downers Grove.

Art Van Furniture operates stores at 165 N. Randall Road, Batavia, and 1021 Butterfield Road in Downers Grove. It also operates Scott Shuptrine Interiors inside the Downers Grove store as well as an Art Van PureSleep store at 2901 C Plainfield Road, Joliet, and an Art Van Furniture store at 1500 S. Randall Road, Algonquin.

"Despite our best efforts to remain open, the company's brands and operating performance have been hit hard by a challenging retail environment," Art Van spokeswoman Diane Charles said in a statement. "We recognize the extraordinary retail, community and philanthropic legacies that Art Van Furniture has built for decades in the community."

The chain started in 1959 in East Detroit by Archie Van Elslander, who passed away in February 2018 from complications related to lung cancer. He was 87.

In January 2017, Art Van Furniture announced an agreement to sell the company to private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners.

The Art Van Furniture store in Batavia opened in 2013. The building had formerly housed Wickes Furniture, which went out of business in 2008.