Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Art Van Furniture Taps Retail Veteran Gourley for Outlet Merchandising Post
August 30,
2017 by Larry Thomas in Executive Changes, Industry 
Art Van Furniture president and CEO Kim Yost, has announced that Craig Gourley, a seasoned retail executive with 20+ years in the home furnishings industry, has been named vice president, outlet merchandising, for Art Van Furniture.
Reporting directly to Yost, Gourley replaces Jodi FitzGerald, who left the company in July.
Effective immediately, Gourley is responsible for overseeing buying, merchandising and sales for all Art Van Outlet locations throughout the Midwest.
“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 retail, 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 graduated from Arizona State University and has completed professional development courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Wharton School of Business.