Century 21 reopens flagship store in Lower Manhattan
NEW YORK -- An iconic institution has made a triumphant return to Lower Manhattan.
After a three-year hiatus, Century 21 reopened its flagship store to the delight of bargain shoppers on Tuesday.
They lined up for hours, some camping out in chairs, others peering through the windows, all for the grand reopening.
"I was totally devastated. We were counting the days. This was my favorite store. I'm so happy," one shopper said.
"Let's get it. Let's shop. Everybody shop," another said.
The COVID pandemic forced the discount luxury goods store to file for bankruptcy and shut down all 13 stores back in 2020. The return of its flagship Lower Manhattan location brought out hundreds of bargain hunters Tuesday from around the country and even the world.
"I'm looking for everything. I'm looking for suits. I'm looking for shoes. I'm looking for ties. Just excited about the possibilities," said Robert Nelson of Queens.
"She screamed. I yelled at her for screaming until she told me what it was and then 45 seconds later I was booking tickets on JetBlue," added Melinda Cohen of Palm Beach, Florida.
Cohen and her daughter, Sydney, flew in Tuesday morning just for the occasion and were to fly home Tuesday night.
"And we have her boyfriend bringing us a suitcase to pack all of our goodies that we are going to check," Cohen said.
The new store is smaller than the original, with only four floors instead of six. But shoppers say the bargains remain.
"This was a staple in Manhattan. All the people who worked down here, we used to be here on the regular," one shopper said.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, owner Eddie Gindi got emotional thinking about the comeback of the family-owned business.
"We had no choice but to open up. We had no choice. We built a brand that is bigger than us," Gindi said.
Customers hope it will continue to be a mainstay for decades to come.