Arhaus furniture to move from Arborland
Arbor Hills will bring a mix of restaurants, retailers and office space when it opens in August.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Its new home in Ann Arbor will be the under-construction Arbor Hills on Washtenaw Avenue.
The move, said Arhaus Chief Operating Officer Greg Teed, will give the store increased visibility, and a chance to redesign the store and join a group of high-end tenants in the new center.
“We’ve been in Ann Arbor for about 10 years and we have a great store there. We’ve had a great presence,” Teed said.
Arhaus furniture is moving from Arborland Center to Arbor Hills on Washtenaw.
“Our company (has been) moving forward in the last three, four, five years in a more upscale direction. A lot of the stores we’ve been building out over the past few years have very cool architectural elements to it,” he continued.
The architecture at the 100,000-square-foot Arbor Hills development fits well with that vision, he said.
The news comes days after specialty cookware retailer Sur La Table and yoga-inspired clothing store lululemon athletica announced plans to open at Arbor Hills, which is located between Huron Parkway and Platt Road. Other confirmed tenants include a restaurant by the Cafe Zola owners, Pizzeria Biga and Hot Mama women’s boutique.
Construction started on the center in June, and developers have been marketing it as an upscale development in a highly visible location.
“We really like the tenants that they’re bringing in,” Teed said. “Those are our type of customers.”
Because several of the buildings have direct frontage off Washtenaw, Teed hopes to attract new customers through drive-by traffic and nearby shopping centers.
“We’re going to be right there, front and center, so the customers can see,” he said.
The new store will be slightly smaller than the store in Arborland, but it will have two levels. Teed said there won’t be any changes in employment, and the Arborland store will close when the Arbor Hills store opens in September.
The roughly 14,400-square-foot Arborland space is being marketed for lease with Michael Lippitt and Rick Shlom of Landmark Commercial Real Estate.
Founded in 1986, there are now 45 Arhaus locations in the U.S., including one in Somerset Mall in Troy. The company sells home furniture and accessories, sourcing from artisans around the world. Teed said the company continues to look at different markets for new stores.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
janejane
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 10:24 p.m.
I have shopped at Arhaus, and the employees are there one day and gone the next. Those poor people must have sales goals way too high for the economy, therefore, seeing the same person the next season is not going to happen. Also, the furniture might look good, but does not wear well. My purchases have lasted not long at all before problems...bad springs, cracked frames...I live alone, and trust me, I'm not hard on my things. I purchased one of their Asian pieces, and it was cracked and broken in less than two years. I overheard a shopper say worms had come out of her table's legs during a dinner party, and I almost passed out. She was told it wasn't cured right before it shipped...really? I was there picking up my last purchase and was told I had to get it myself. They have no in-town delivery if you buy a floor item. Their back room ("warehouse") is a joke. I made that my last purchase. I have never seen such a mish-mash of questionable quality and inexperienced salespeople. I am an Ethan Allen, Three Chairs or Pottery Barn advocate...not Arhaus! Fool me once.....oh well, good luck anyone going there. I give them a D- ....only because the store is displayed well.
Brad
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 10 p.m.
@Sam - ixnay - I was trying to avoid sullying her reputation by associating her with a person such as myself.
dancinginmysoul
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 8:05 p.m.
Johnny: there is another furniture store in town, which I won't name, that when you walk in you are immediately mobbed by sales people. There's a huge difference between being mobbed by people working on commission and a greeting of hello. It's not a damned if you do damned if you don't. And people don't say that about Doctors because it doesn't happen with doctors. A primary care physician can see upwards of 25 patients a day. There isn't enough time to be "mobbed" by your doctor. And besides, you're comparing apples and oranges.
a2xarob
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 7:51 p.m.
Agreed! What's with all the whining about being mobbed by salespeople? You smile and say politely that you're browsing for now and will let them know if you require help today. And move away. You don't have to be followed around by them unless you don't speak up.
free form
Fri, Mar 22, 2013 : midnight
Yeah... that works fine if there is ONE salesperson but there is never just one. When you have a dozen or so people "checking" on you it gets old FAST.
FrankOZ
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 7:25 p.m.
The key to pleasant Art Van shopping is to make it clear at the get-go that you want to be left alone. I pretty much do it the same way I do with solicitors who come to my front door. It works. If I need something, I know where to find them.......as 3 to 5 of them are lurking with 25 feet of me.
Ryan Munson
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 5:29 p.m.
The furniture here is of decent quality like Pottery Barn. If you want to go up another notch go to Ethan Allen.
beardown
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 4:40 p.m.
I think the issue here is that we keep building mini malls to poach stores from other mini malls. So now we are going to make traffic on Washtenaw near Arbor Hills into an epic nightmare and close a store in Arborland. Adding news stores bring in new jobs and new options. This is just musical chairs. How is that progress?
johnnya2
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 4:48 p.m.
Umm, it is one store changing locations. The new Arbor Hills has a restaurant company that has never been in A2, a current A2 restaurant opening a second location, new to the A2 market stores Sur La Table, luluman and Hot Mama. I guess you are against naked furniture moving to a new location as well? Sometimes different locations give better results. Whole Foods used to be where Trader Joes is. The location on Washtenaw actually caused the company to open a second location in the city because of the increased traffic. Why did more people go to the new Whole Foods than the one at Trader Joes? Better location, newer, cleaner, more convenient., larger.
kuriooo
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 4:35 p.m.
I love to browse in Arhaus. The furniture is lovely and interesting, looks like great quality, and their interior designer who does the walls and arranges things always seems to have something new going on! Too bad their awesome furniture doesn't fit in my tiny ranch... I love Arhaus but probably will become a ThreeChairs chick when I can afford the nice stuff...
tmcgee
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 4:30 p.m.
I was just at Paper Source in Birmingham and they said they are opening a store in Arbor Hills as well.. I feel bad for Hollanders.
free form
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 11:56 p.m.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Paper Source, but this does spell bad news for independent stationery stores like "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and "Hollanders." They all carry a similar selection of cards, bags, etc. Hollanders does sell more specialty items like their book binding supplies and Rock, Paper, Scissors carries a lot of giftable and home dec items. Maybe the distance between the stores will be enough to let them all survive.
Lizzy Alfs
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 5:20 p.m.
And I've never been to Paper Source. How similar is to Hollanders?
Lizzy Alfs
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 5 p.m.
They are! I got that confirmed this morning.
5travellers
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 3:18 p.m.
I've never been to Arhaus, but might pop in there now to look since hearing their salespeople don't swarm you. I become very annoyed going to Art Van. I want to comfortably browse when looking for something. I'd rather look for someone if I have a question, rather than someone constantly asking me questions while I'm trying to decide if I like something and if it's within my budget.
tmcgee
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 4:37 p.m.
I hate HATE going to places like Art Van. It stresses me out having people attack me from the minute I walk in. It makes me shop online or at lower-end stores like IKEA where I can be left alone!
Tex Treeder
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 3:13 p.m.
What does this mean for Arborland? Maybe they could take that terrible parking area by Coldstone and Starbucks and make it a little more user-friendly.
Lizzy Alfs
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 5:19 p.m.
It will be interesting to see what Arborland does with that space. I wonder if they would consider breaking it up into smaller spaces.
ItsTheTruth
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 2:02 p.m.
I have to agree that I hate being harassed by salespeople. If I want something I will come to you and ask. I usually just leave and shop somewhere else if this happens.
free form
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 1:46 p.m.
I love the furniture and I've always received an appropriate level of attention at Arhaus. Of course, I am not one to chit chat with employees and ask a bunch of questions. I like to browse on my own and if I need assistance, I ask for it. This is one of the reasons I dread going to most furniture stores, like Art Van. The salespeople at those stores are like mosquitos, swarming you and pestering you while you shop. Ugh.
Linda Peck
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 1:31 p.m.
I have to jump in to say that I have received top customer service at Arhaus. I bought a hand carved bench there years ago and it had a small defect. They replaced it immediately and very graciously. Each time I have gone there I have had great sales help. I drive a rust heap and look a mess.
timjbd
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 1:03 p.m.
I've never been in there. Does this shop sell high quality, American made furniture or Chinese-factory-to-container-ship junk? "Upscale" always makes me suspicious that it's the same cheap manufactured product you can get at Target or Walmart but you have to haul it down from the rafters yourself.
ItsTheTruth
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 12:51 p.m.
You never know how much money your customer has. I don't look like I have any at all but I pay cash for large pieces of furniture.
johnnya2
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 4:41 p.m.
Never pay cash for furniture. Most major credit cards extend warranties and allow you to dispute if something goes wrong. Paying cash does not afford you that luxury. Paying off a credit card at the end of each month avoids finance charges. I would actually think any person coming into my store paying cash in large sums probably is unable to open a bank account.
Soothslayer
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 3:03 p.m.
In this era "cash" could mean actual bills (having a few k isn't really odd if you're planning on a purchase), debit card (most popular) or (cringe) a check. Always better to save up and pay "cash" for something unless its a necessity and you absolutely need to borrow till next pay day (e.g. credit card for gas so you can get to work).
EyeHeartA2
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 2:52 p.m.
Got a big roll of Benjamin's do 'ya? Cash business going on?
tcormie
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 12:50 p.m.
This mall is turning into a little Birmingham.
CincoDeMayo
Fri, Mar 22, 2013 : 5:54 p.m.
I'm from South Central Ann Arbor
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 5:55 p.m.
"I'm from South Birmingham" "I'm from West Birmingham" which sounds better?
Lizzy Alfs
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 5:19 p.m.
@tcormie: You're right, several of the tenants opening at Arbor Hills do have locations in Birmingham. There seems to be a lot of cross over interest.
Brad
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 12:53 p.m.
Yeah, very little.
localvocal
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 12:49 p.m.
Obviously you've never worked with Ozzie. He was friendly, attentive and sent us a note after we left. And before you start assuming anything, we didn't even buy any furniture or spend a lot of money. We were in jeans.
treetowncartel
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 12:35 p.m.
I've never been to Arhaus, but I'm not a fan of the Art Van employee approaching me as I walk into the store. I want to browse and when I need help I will let you know.
Bill
Fri, Mar 22, 2013 : 7:36 p.m.
No, Art Van seems to have artifically inflated prices with "sale"prices above those of other retail locations.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 10:04 p.m.
A curiosity question... does Art Van ever have sales? ;)
Brad
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 12:35 p.m.
If you want some attention while you furniture shop go to Art Van. They are roosting around the door waiting for you now.
Hot Sam
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 9:29 p.m.
""" There is a salesperson at Arhaus we used to deal with way back at Workbench (RIP) and she is great.""" Her name is Pam...she is the best...
Bill
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 5:46 p.m.
Art Van has the worst sales model possible. I fee like I'm being stalked when I visit Art Van. While you may save 70% off at Art Van, you may still find the same item for less at another store with good service and sales people interested in helping not just making a sale.
Bababooey
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 3:25 p.m.
Walking into Art Van is like being the only human in a warehouse full of flesh eating zombies.
Brad
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 1:03 p.m.
There is a salesperson at Arhaus we used to deal with way back at Workbench (RIP) and she is great.
Barb
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 12:55 p.m.
No doubt - I've had excellent service at Arhaus - I just wish I could afford their stuff. I'll always go to Tyner's, though. Hate Art Van. I always feel dirty when I go in there.
seldon
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 12:21 p.m.
I've actually had great customer service at Arhaus, and I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt (and they couldn't see my car unless they went outside to look for it). Maybe you hit on a bad day?
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 12:16 p.m.
Maybe you two don't fit their demographic....what kind of car did you drive up in? What kind of designer cloths were you wearing? ;)
Bababooey
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 3:24 p.m.
Peasant chic.
Danni M
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 11:46 a.m.
Arhaus' customer service is definitely lacking. I, too, have shopped there and was completely ignored by their staff. Mediocre over-priced inventory coupled with poor customer service is a recipe for failure.
nancy
Sat, Mar 23, 2013 : 4:55 a.m.
Reminds me of Best Buy. Usually almost impossible to find a sales person. Those I do spot generally ignore me.
Just Be Nice
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 11:28 a.m.
Arhaus needs to work on customer service. I visited the store three times and not one sales person offered to assist me. I went to Tyner's where I was greated promptly and received excellent service. Shame on Arhaus.
BenK
Fri, Mar 22, 2013 : 1:25 p.m.
Go to Art Van and a salesmen dressed in a cheap suit will follow you around and sit in the recliner with you. If you smile at him, he may even give you a great deal. Arhaus is not the place for you.
apples
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 8:51 p.m.
I felt the same way you did. They could at least greet you !
johnnya2
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 4:37 p.m.
These comments show why retailers are damned if they do, damned if they don't. Funny how people say they want better service and more attention, then when a company does it, people like RS complain. Then when they back off, people like Just Be Nice complain. Here is my take, the service should be like what you expect a bank a doctor office or the secratary of states office. I want somebody helping me as soon as possible. It's funny, but i have never heard somebody say, my doctor mobs me with all the attention they heap on me and I wish he would stop. You never hear somebody say, I wish they would put fewer tellers at the bank.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 3:20 p.m.
On the other hand its nice if they ask. There is something between vultures and invisible.
Tex Treeder
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 3:10 p.m.
I'm with @rs on this one. I don't need salespeople swarming on me like vultures.
rs
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 1:57 p.m.
Actually I appreciate walking into a store without being mobbed at the door by sales people.