FABLED STORE REBORN
Century 21, felled by COVID, to reopen across from WTC
Big Apple bargain shoppers, rejoice.
Century 21, the discount department store chain thrown into financial ruin after COVID-19 shutdowns, will return to the city next spring, the company announced Tuesday.
A store is set to launch at the fashion-forward chain’s former flagship location across the street from the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan in what should come as welcome news to fans of the 13 shops that shuttered last year after the pandemic forced the company to file for bankruptcy.
“The iconic retailer and purveyor of off-price luxury fashion has teamed with global premium experiences company Legends to introduce a revitalized shopping experience to Century 21 s faithful local — and global — fans,” the company said in a statement Tuesday. “Through this next evolution, Century 21 will remain true to its DNA — one synonymous with value and luxury — with an exceptional assortment of designer brands at the unbeatable prices the brand has delivered for over 60 years.”
Those behind the revival are promising a “more streamlined customer shopping experience through in-store upgrades and an elevated, e-commerce presence, which will debut at the same time the brick-and-mortar store opens its doors.”
The reopened store at Cortlandt St. will take up the four main floors that it previously occupied, selling designer duds for men, women and kids, along with shoes, outerwear, handbags, perfumes and accessories.
Tourists and locals alike frequented the massive department store for its deeply discounted goods, carrying away their buys in the chain’s iconic red oversize shopping bags. Those bags may have a new look next year, because Century 21 plans to add “NYC” to its logo to help emphasize its boroughs-based roots.
The company was founded in 1961, with its first location popping up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The flagship Cortlandt St. outpost in Manhattan, with its close proximity to the World Trade Center, was damaged during the 9/11 attacks. After undergoing renovations, it reopened five months after the attacks, in February 2002.
“Century 21 is, and always will be, a New York City brand,” Raymond Gindi, Century 21 s co-CEO, said in a statement. “Our flagship store has been a long-time symbol of this city’s resilience and unwavering spirit.
“In our 60-year history we have only closed our doors twice, once after the devastation of 9/11 and then again during the COVID-19 pandemic. But like the true New Yorkers we are, we have persevered.”
In February 2021, the company announced it would bring back brick-and-mortar stores, but did not announce what locations would reopen. It remained unclear Tuesday which, if any, additional locations of Century 21 might reopen in the future.