Arhaus, known internationally for its exclusive assortment of handcrafted home goods, is moving in to Scottsdale at Kierland Commons, 7030 East Greenway Parkway, marking the retailer’s first ever store in Arizona. Arhaus will soon begin to renovate a little more than 31,000 sq. ft. spanning two floors—a space formerly occupied by Barnes & Noble.
Chairman and CEO John Reed attributes the privately held company’s success and continued expansion to the artisanal assortment of product made by independent craftsmen all over the world and exclusive to stores. He also credits Arhaus’ unique footprint—designed to oh and ah customers into mimicking the looks in their own home. “We offer the right combination of designs that Americans are comfortable living with and decorating their homes with, and we merchandise them in the kind of environment that our customers not only feel inspired by, but comfortable shopping in,” he says.
“For over 14 years, Kierland Commons has offered guests one-of-a-kind shopping and spectacular dining,” said Jesse Benites, Property Manager, Kierland Commons. “Arhaus will offer the perfect complement to the shopping center as we continue to elevate and refine the mix.”
On opening day, the Kierland Commons Arhaus store will bring total store count for the retailer to 60 in the U.S. including an e-commerce shop at arhaus.com. Following the grand opening in Scottsdale, Arhaus will open in Phoenix at Biltmore Fashion Park.
In general Arhaus stores range anywhere from 13,000 to 35,000 sq. ft.
Within weeks of the grand opening this fall, the store will be beautifully outfitted in the retailer’s one-of-a-kind designs and timeless classics including: sofas, sectionals and chairs wrapped in your choice of leather or fabric; dining tables and chairs for indoors and out; outdoor seating and accessories; antiques and replicas; bedroom furniture and private label bedding collections; library and office appropriate pieces; wall units and an assortment of media centers; tableware; rugs; lighting; drapery; and, a large assortment of seasonal accessories.
All are set in an interior boasting such architectural details as skylights, a river rock fireplace, hand-painted murals, and a combination of distressed oak and stone flooring, as well as signature display elements like the Arhaus “chair wall” showcasing dining seats of every size and shape, and “accessory column” stacked top to bottom with seasonal soft goods and glasswork. “Our build-out is like no other in the industry,” says Reed. “We invest a great deal of time creating an environment that not only appeals to the shopper, but maintains our trademark look and feel.”
The Arhaus ethos is all about workmanship and has been since 1986.
Going back to the beginning
It all started with a single store in downtown Cleveland. Arhaus is named after Denmark’s port city Aarhus (pronounced ar hoos). “We drove state-by-state sourcing materials and products, tracking inventory by hand, and making personal deliveries,” says Reed. “We were committed to finding good design and working directly with the artisan to get it, which wasn’t being done then.”
Today, Arhaus continues to go directly to the source. More than 60 percent of the assortment is currently made in America and this number is growing according to Reed.
Making the merchandise
Details like hand-painted and distressed finishes, dovetail joinery, hand-hammered copper and eight-way hand-tied upholstery set Arhaus’ merchandise apart from other home furnishing stores and make the retailer a destination point in every market. The company’s product development team travels the world to find its unique pieces. “We buy from markets in Paris and even from village shops in Indonesia,” says Chief Creative Officer Gary Babcock.
And, artisans maintain the retailer’s original commitment: to never to use wood from endangered rainforests in the manufacture of its goods. “Whenever possible, we rely on renewable and recycled materials to make anything from a single bench, to a glass vase,” says Babcock.
