Loves Furniture will close 13 stores, including 10 in Michigan

Loves Furniture will close 13 of its locations, including 10 in Michigan, under a consolidation plan.

“We’ve got stores literally five miles apart,” company CEO Mack Peters said Tuesday. “With the global pandemic going on and the furniture shortage, we’re having a problem getting goods for our stores to stock all our stores and take care of our customers. We’re reducing our footprint of the number of stores to better serve our customers in the Detroit area.”

The consolidation comes about four months after the Warren-based retailer opened its first Michigan store in former Art Van locations. Art Van's private equity firm, Dallas-based U.S. Assets, acquired the assets of Art Van Furniture when it shuttered its doors in March after more than 60 years in business. 

The Loves Furniture store consolidation will result in the closure of locations in Westland, Waterford Township, Livonia, Burton, Saginaw, Bay City, Muskegon and Dearborn. Peters said store closures in Port Huron and Petoskey are due to the challenge of servicing those locations due to distance. Out-of-state stores that will close are in Boardman, Ohio; Niles, Ohio; and Hermitage, Pennsylvania.

“We’re trying to bring our footprint to a closer footprint for stores that we can service in the Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo area,” Peters said.

The closings were first reported by Crain's Detroit Business.

Loves Furniture, which operates 24 stores, leases its space. Employees will be offered positions in other locations as they are made available, Peters say. Consolidation sales are expected to begin after Christmas. 

Peters said that the furniture supply chain issues have posed a challenge during the pandemic. Delivery for domestic orders, which typically take 4-6 weeks, are now quoted for August delivery, he said. 

According to its website, other Loves Furniture locations in Michigan include Canton Township, Royal Oak, Taylor, Warren, Grand Rapids, Comstock Park, Shelby Township, Portage, Jackson and Howell.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CWilliams_DN