Century21, iconic New York clothing store, reopens after pandemic closure

He survived September 11 and the Covid pandemic: Century21, New York’s iconic department store for finding brand-name clothing at reduced prices, reopened its doors on Tuesday, in euphoria.

Customers lined up at 6 a.m., others came from very far away and one aficionado was even more nervous in front of this huge business facing the new district of the World Trade Center in Manhattan than when entering the “Sistine Chapel”.

Under the red balloons and the applause of the Gindi family, owner of this historic New York symbol of mass distribution, the first customers gave cries of joy, after three years of closure due to the health crisis.

“It means a lot to the people of New York. At the time of 9/11 (2001) the store closed and when it reopened everyone was so happy! So seeing it again after the Covid is like a rebirth for New York and I’m delighted to go back shopping,” enthused Gale Kaplan, 63, from Brooklyn, the huge borough on the other side of the East River.

For women, men and children, you can find all the clothes and accessories at Century21, a company set up in 1961 and whose first store was born in Brooklyn. And you can find all the brands there like Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Guess, Levi’s, Kate Spade, Helmut Lang… but at the end of their stock and at unbeatable reduced prices.

“You can find anything there”

Melody White, 62, who arrived at 6 a.m. from Queens, another popular and multicultural borough of New York, was “very, very upset when they closed. Because it’s the best store, you can find the best products there, beautiful clothes. You can find everything there”.

Gale Kaplan was even “happier queuing for Century21’s opening than doing it for the Sistine Chapel” in Rome. “That’s how happy I am!”.

Also all smiles, Vice President of Century21 Eddie Gindi assured that this May 16 was “historic, an incredible day”, more than 20 years after having almost disappeared in the attacks of September 11 and the destruction of the two towers of the World. Trade Center. And three years after closing for bankruptcy due to the pandemic that brought New York to its knees in 2020 and 2021.

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“We don’t take that for granted,” warned the entrepreneur.

The mayor of New York, Eric Adams, who has made the economic and tourist rebound of the megalopolis the heart of his policy – despite inflation – was also celebrating, giving the Gindi family a hug in this store in looks like a giant clothing fair.

“When they had to close, it broke their hearts. They only thought of one thing: how to come back, how to reopen, how to serve people? It was an anchor point for our tourists, they came here, lined up to shop and admire the good products that we had everywhere”, launched the city councilor.

For Mr. Gindi, the reopening of Century21 “revives the spirit of New York like no other company can. Because we are part of the fabric of the city”, one of the first economic and commercial centers of the planet.