Van’s Home Center, 106 Peckhart Ct., in Auburn, Ind., just off I-69 and State Road 8, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this fall. Their focus on providing quality products at affordable prices, along with excellent customer service, has paved the way for the growing business to evolve into a one-stop-shop for everything needed to furnish a home.
“We have people shopping with us who shopped with Van and Mary Lou when the store first opened,” says Brittany Brouer, marketing director. “Many people remember the original store in Angola and share their memories with us. Customer service is at the core of our business and something we are very proud of. We have a lot of repeat customers because they can get everything in one location.”
Through the years, the business has grown to include furniture, appliances, mattresses, flooring, cabinets, countertops, carpeting and tile.
Van’s is unique in that it services everything it sells, has its own delivery and installation teams, and offers customers extended warranties on all products. The staff is professionally trained and knowledgeable about all of the products being sold.
“When it comes to doing business with us, there are no third parties. Everything happens under our own roof,” Brouer adds.
Over the last several years, Van’s has undergone a handful of remodels and expansions, including adding a new mattress gallery, expanding the furniture showroom, adding a flooring and tile showroom, adding a dedicated scratch and dent showroom, and adding a “live” kitchen showroom where all appliances are plugged in and working, so customers can see the various features.
Van’s currently maintains three warehouses, with a fourth one soon to start construction. Employees can help customers at any budget, whether they just need a new sofa or want to undertake a remodel or start new construction. Van’s also works directly with dozens of area home builders, providing clients with everything from appliances to furniture and flooring.
Through the years, Brouer has observed how customers have changed by not wanting to waste time.
“Most customers today don’t want the hassle of shopping around,” she says. “They want their home projects to be as easy and painless as possible. Because of the internet, they have done their research and have a better understanding of what they want, and they want to save time.”
At the same time, they expect to be listened to, cared for, and valued.
“We have given our community the option of shopping at a locally owned family business with a great selection and competitive prices, that values customers enough to want to maintain a relationship with them for a lifetime,” Brouer adds. “Our customers get a personalized shopping experience with us. Hopefully, when they need something for their home, they think of Van’s. Today, everything is so automated, people enjoy the personal touch of a local business. They like knowing they are a valued customer and not just another transaction.”
And for those who don’t have time to shop in person, everything can be bought online at vanshomecenter.com.
“Looking toward the future, we just want to make sure we are fulfilling customers’ needs, as we always have done. Everything we do is the result of giving customers a trusted, local destination for everything for the home,” Brouer says. “We are grateful to be able to maintain a business for 50 years, and that’s only because people trust us.”