Retail Industry Veteran Craig Gourley Joins Art Van Furniture As Vice President, Outlet Merchandising
Furniture World News Desk on
9/4/2017
Art Van recently announced that Craig Gourley, an accomplished retail executive with more than 20 years of experience in the home furnishings industry, has been named vice president, outlet merchandising, for Art Van Furniture. The announcement was made by Kim Yost, CEO and president of Art Van Furniture.
As of Aug. 28, Gourley is responsible for overseeing buying, merchandising and sales for all Art Van Outlet locations throughout the Midwest. Reporting directly to Yost, Gourley replaces Jodi FitzGerald, who left the company in July.
“Craig is the right talent at the right time for Art Van Furniture during this exciting period of explosive growth at our company,” said Yost. “Craig’s national merchandising expertise, incomparable industry knowledge and passion for products that resonate with guests have been honed for over 20 years, and are an unbeatable combination.”
Gourley has overseen merchandising operations for some of the biggest names in the country’s retail landscape, including Westborough, Mass.-based BJ’s Wholesale Club; Green Bay, Wis.-based Shopko; Plano, Texas-based JCPenney; St. Louis-based May Department Stores, and Macy’s in New York City.
“I’m ecstatic to have this once in a lifetime opportunity to join Art Van Furniture at such a transformative time in its proud history,” said Gourley. “The Art Van Outlet is a go-to destination for guests shopping for stylish furnishings at affordable prices, and we have big plans to expand upon this popular concept.”
Gourley holds a bachelor’s degree of science from Arizona State University. He has also completed professional development courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Wharton School of Business.
More about Art Van Furniture: Art Van Furniture is the Midwest's largest furniture retailer. The company operates more than 120 stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, including freestanding Art Van PureSleep mattress stores, Art Van Flooring stores, Art Van Furniture franchise locations and Scott Shuptrine Interiors, the interior design division of Art Van Furniture, as well as a full-service e-commerce website. Founded in 1959, the company is headquartered in Warren, Mich. For more information, visit artvan.com.