Century 21 Department Stores LLC
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1961 (63 years ago) (1961)
FounderRalph I Gindi
FateRebranding
Headquarters
New York City, United States
Number of locations
1 (2023)
Key people
Ralph Gindi
ProductsClothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics and housewares
Revenue$747 million (2019)
Websitehttp://c21stores.com

Century 21 Department Stores LLC is an American chain of department stores, headquartered in New York City, which had 13 locations in the northeastern United States at the time of its closing in 2020. In 2023, the flagship center next to the World Trade Center reopened.[1]

History

Inside Century 21 in 2012

The company was founded in 1961, by Syrian Jews, Sonny Gindi, Ralph I Gindi, and Al Gindi.[2][3][4] The original store is located at 472 86th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Founder Al Gindi's son, Raymond Gindi, served as Century 21's chief operating officer.[5]

The Century 21 flagship location is at 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, a site of the former East River Savings Bank (eventually merged into Marine Midland Bank and today into KeyBank). It occupies the base of a 34-story office tower, and it has recently added a Financier Patisserie coffee shop to its third floor.[6] The store became an emotional flashpoint during and after the September 11 attacks. The store was evacuated after the first plane hit the World Trade Center, and the interior was significantly damaged from the collapse of the Twin Towers. Initially, it was not certain that the store would be rebuilt, but the owners opted to remain at the same site and the store was renovated and reopened on February 28, 2002, five months after the attacks. Thousands of people waited hours on the morning of the reopening so they could have a sales receipt from that day.[7][8]

The firm opened its first location outside of the greater New York metropolitan area in October 2014, housed on two floors of the former Strawbridge's flagship on Market Street in Center City, Philadelphia.[9][10]

The company expanded in 2016, opening at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida.[11]

In March 2016, Century 21 announced that it would open a location at American Dream.[12] This location never opened due to a later insolvency, and was replaced by The ADdress.[13][14][15] In addition Century 21 had planned a new location at the Staten Island Mall in New Springville, New York in the lower level of the former Sears Store and at the Roosevelt Field (shopping mall) in Garden City, New York as a relocation of their Westbury, New York in the mall's former Bloomingdale's Home Furniture location. Both of these locations are also now closed. In 2017, Century 21 opened a location at Cross County Center in Yonkers, New York.

On Thursday September 10, 2020, Century 21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, after failing to secure insurance recoveries for the COVID-19 pandemic.[16] Century 21 closed all of its locations by Sunday, December 6, 2020.[17]

On February 25, 2021, Century 21 announced it would resume operations sometime in 2021.[18]

In 2022, Century 21 surrendered its original Bay Ridge location.[19]

In May 2022, Century 21 announced it would reopen the lower Manhattan store in the spring of 2023.[20]

In February 2023, Century 21 announced an April 2023 reopening date for the downtown New York City flagship. It also announced plans for a new Bay Ridge store at a shopping center developed by the Gindi's, with more locations planned for both the United States and internationally.[21]

Although the New York City flagship was scheduled to reopen on April 25, 2023,[22][23] the opening was delayed until May 16, 2023.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "New York City's Century 21 Is Back, Without the Chaos That Made It Beloved". Bloomberg.com. May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  2. ^ Sidman, Fern (June 20, 2012). "Sonny Gindi, Founder of Century 21 Department Store, Dies at 88". Jewish Voice. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014.
  3. ^ Gallindoss, Alan (February 21, 2021). "New York City's Century 21 Is Back!". Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  4. ^ Schneier, Matthew (September 28, 2020). "It's Almost Time to Start Paying Retail". The Cut. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  5. ^ Wellington, Elizabeth (April 30, 2014). "Will buyers flock to Philadelphia's Century 21?". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014.
  6. ^ Frederick, Pam (February 7, 2020). "Century 21 adds a Financier coffee shop". Tribeca Citizen. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  7. ^ Seitz, Sharon (October 14, 2001). "A Beloved Store Was a Casualty Too". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Pristin, Terry (March 1, 2002). "Century 21, A Downtown Fixture, Reopens to Cheers". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Arvedlund, Erin (October 25, 2014). "Shoppers check out Century 21, new Center City department store". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 9, 2014.
  10. ^ "Around 450 stores, restaurants and places to play will (eventually) fill this massive N.J. mall: What are they?". The Patriot-News. February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  11. ^ "Century 21 Department Store Brings Designer Brands At Amazing Prices To The Sunshine State" (Press release). Century 21 Department Store – via PR Newswire.
  12. ^ Hargrove, Channing (March 2, 2016). "Century 21 Is the Newest American Dream Mall Confirmed Tenant". Racked NY. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  13. ^ Cronin, Chris (October 9, 2020). Century 21 at American Dream Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ WILL NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. YouTube.
  14. ^ Manoff, Jill (February 4, 2023). "Fashion Briefing: American Dream fills Century 21's 55,000-square-foot space with a modest-fashion department store". Glossy. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  15. ^ Moin, David (February 3, 2023). "Dreaming Up a Department Store for Less Skin-revealing Clothes". WWD. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  16. ^ Thomas, Lauren (September 10, 2020). "Discount retailer Century 21 files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is closing all of its 13 stores". CNBC. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  17. ^ "Making the Most of the Final Farewell to Century 21". The Lo-Down: News from the Lower East Side. December 13, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  18. ^ Gartland, Michael (February 25, 2021). "Century 21 will return after closing 13 stores over COVID financial hit". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  19. ^ "Former Century 21 Owners Finish Bay Ridge Assemblage". The Real Deal. April 13, 2022.
  20. ^ Salamone, Gina (May 17, 2022). "Century 21 department store to reopen in lower Manhattan after COVID closures, bankruptcy". New York Daily News.
  21. ^ "Century 21's FiDi flagship has an opening date". Crain's New York Business. February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  22. ^ "Century 21's FiDi flagship could reopen next week, source says". Crain's New York Business. April 28, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  23. ^ "It's official: Century 21 sets reopening date". Crain's New York Business. May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.

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