Century 21 will open May 16

I was close! I guessed May 20 and now the official word is officially opening May 16. The press team promised opening day details in a formal release soon — I will update this post then.

The northwest corner of the store is clearly not part of the new store: it is fully under construction. But the entrances on both Cortlandt and Dey looked poised to go: papered with signs announcing the spring 2023 opening.

And again, from the original announcement: “This partnership will couple Legends omnichannel operating expertise with Century 21’s expert curation of designer brands at amazing prices, to bring fans of the iconic brand an enhanced shopping experience in-store and online,” the store said on its website. “The re-opened Cortlandt Street location will span the four main floors of the original downtown space and will offer men’s, women’s and children’s designer apparel, footwear, outerwear, handbags, accessories and fragrances.”

 
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5 Comments

  1. Check out the cool new interior of C21 store soon to be open on their Instagram page!

  2. I went to the Grand reopening of C21 store and this is my report.
    If you, like me, a big fan of the store, you’re in for a disappointment. It’s not the store I remember. First of all, it’s half the size and only 4 floors. I must admit that it looks very modern, bright and clean. Almost all staff is young people. Everybody was very friendly and helpful. Obviously, I headed to the 3rd floor to the men’s department. I was so excited and was looking forward to find treasures among the racks. I kept looking for well known international brands, especially Italian, that I always found here. But there we’re almost none. I saw a few racks of tacky Versace and overpriced Dior t shirts with loud logos, some strange looking sweatshirts by Celine at insane prices, but that was it! Most of the merchandise was some obscure random designers I never heard of, basically street style casual clothes that I wouldn’t touch. I was really shocked. As it turns out, they decided to target “younger “ consumer with upcoming designers and “fast fashion “, whatever that means. What a letdown!
    I, somehow, ended up with 3 items and not because I “had to have them”, but I felt I didn’t want to leave empty handed after standing in line for hours.
    In the men’s shoe department there were some good brands, such as Tods, Santoni, Balmain. But the prices were steep. And not every size. I ended up with a pair of Balmain sneakers ( originally $650, C21 price $350). The shoe department was a zoo. But many salespeople were ready to assist.
    The checkout was a nightmare: I guess because it was the first day and the new personnel was still trying to figure out what is what. The place was packed. My overall impression: it’s not the C21 we all loved, it a totally different experience and the merchandise is very disappointing. I doubt I will be a regular customer the way I used to be if things remain the same. I hope you get a better experience.

    • This is sad news indeed. The last thing we need is more “fast fashion”, ugly, transient, poorly made, and ending up in landfills. I had hoped to find a source for affordable, elegant, well-made classic clothing from good designers. I guess this is not it.

      • This is a part of an interview with C21 rep that gives you an idea what to expect.

        “ The beloved but chaotic shopping experience of digging through disorganized racks for hidden gems is gone — for now. In addition to its smaller footprint, the neatly organized racks showcase fewer brands and items per brand. The store’s famous selection of a broad array of European designers — a lure for tourists — is almost entirely gone, though Mentzer said there’s an assortment of items in a warehouse that will arrive in the next weeks.

        “We’re going to live within the box that we have and we’ll figure out what the future looks like,” Menzter said. “We just need to get some good data from customers and see what people are actually interested in buying.”

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