Century 21 (department store)

Century 21 Department Stores LLC is a chain of department stores with 13 locations in the northeastern United States, headquartered in New York City.

Century 21 Department Stores LLC
Private
IndustryRetail
Founded1961 (1961)
Founder
HeadquartersNew York City, United States
Number of locations
13 (Manhattan, NY,[1] Brooklyn, NY, Westbury, NY, Morristown, NJ, Paramus, NJ, Pittsburgh, PA, Queens, NY, Upper West Side, Elizabeth, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, Sunrise, FL, Staten Island, NY and Yonkers, NY)
Key people
Raymond Gindi, CEO
ProductsClothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics and housewares.
RevenuePrivate Company - Unknown
OwnerGindi family
Websitec21stores.com

History
Century 21 Sign
Inside Century 21

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

The Century 21 flagship location is at 22 Cortland St. in Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It occupies the base of a 34 story office tower, and it has recently added a Financier Patisserie coffee shop to its third floor.[4] 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 in the summer of 2002. Thousands of people waited hours on the morning of the reopening so they could have a sales receipt from that day.[5][6]

On October 28, 2014, the firm opened its first location outside of the greater New York metropolitan area, housed on two floors of the former Strawbridge's flagship on Market Street in Center City, Philadelphia.[7][8]

They also opened a location at the Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida in 2016.

References
  1. The New York Times articles linking Century 21 to the World Trade Center
  2. Jewish Voice New York: "Sonny Gindi, Founder of Century 21 Department Store, Dies at 88" By Fern Sidman June 20, 2012
  3. Philadelphia Inquirer: "Will buyers flock to Philadelphia's Century 21?" By Elizabeth Wellington April 30, 2014
  4. "Tribeca Citizen | Century 21 adds a Financier coffee shop". Tribeca Citizen. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  5. The New York Times "A Beloved Store Was a Casualty Too" October 14, 2001
  6. The New York Times "Century 21, A Downtown Fixture, Reopens to Cheers" March 1, 2002
  7. Philadelphia Inquirer: "Shoppers check out Century 21, new Center City department store" By Erin Arvedlund October 25, 2014
  8. "Around 450 stores, restaurants and places to play will (eventually) fill this massive N.J. mall: What are they?". pennlive. 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
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