Clint Engel
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — Art Van Furniture will reenter the high-end market this fall with the opening of its first Drexel Heritage store in this northern suburb of Detroit.


The 12,859-square-foot store in a new shopping center is expected to open in early November and will feature Drexel Heritage’s key collections, including Lillian August, Postobello and At Home in Tuscany.

The Top 100 company wouldn’t disclose its investment or sales projections for the store. Art Van is hoping to eventually open three in the Detroit market, said spokeswoman Chris Morrisroe.

Drexel President Lenwood Rich said the manufacturer is “excited and appreciative” of the Van Elslander family’s commitment.

“This is an outstanding confirmation of Drexel Heritage and its store program when one of the most successful retailers in the country commits to build a DH store,” he said.

Gary Van Elslander, Art Van co-president, who will oversee the retailer’s Drexel program, praised Drexel’s reputation. “Their broad range of high-end, designer oriented home furnishings allows us to meet the growing demands of the affluent consumer,” he said.

This isn’t the first time the Van Elslanders have gone after Detroit’s affluent. For years, the family owned the upscale Scott Shuptrine, but in late 2002 it liquidated the struggling business, citing a tough economy, a sluggish high-end climate and the desire to concentrate on the primarily midpriced Art Van.

Although Detroit has upscale powerhouse Gorman’s, Morrisroe said that when Shuptrine closed down “it really did leave a void in the community as far as where to go for upper-end furniture.” She said the Drexel store, which will be a subsidiary of Art Van, will target the service-oriented in an intimate setting with a concentration on one vendor with a strong product line.

“When people are investing in quality furniture that they will eventually hand down as heirlooms to their children, they don’t want off-the-rack merchandise,” Gary Van Elslander said. “They want something special. There’s no question that the range of merchandise, customization possibilities and services that we’ll offer will give them the opportunity to have just that.”

The store will have experienced designers who can help the consumer select everything from furniture to accessories, draperies, rugs, bedding and window treatments. 

Drexel Heritage is part of HDM Furniture Inds., a subsidiary of Furniture Brands International. Its network of 44 dedicated U.S. stores ranked No. 43 on the Top 100 with estimated 2012 sales of $180 million. Warren, Mich.-based Art Van was No. 15 with 29 Michigan stores doing an estimated $535 million last year.