Epstein’s
Dry Goods is closing after
nearly 90 years in business.
The
family-owned store on Columbus
Avenue sells everything from kids clothing to shoes and jeans.
Owner
Mark Epstein says the decision came about after realizing the difficulty to
compete with online stores like Amazon.
"We weathered all kinds of different competition:
department stores, chain stores, all that. But the internet proved to be too
formidable,” says Epstein.
Epstein
further goes on to mention the coronavirus pandemic being the final nail in the
coffin. "The coffin had been laid 5 years
prior, and this was just more than you could withstand."
Loyal
customers like Gerard Acer and Jane Meath have been supporters for decades.
"My mom used to take me over from
Eastchester, and we used to come here,” says Acer.
“Truthfully, it's
heartbreaking," said customer Jane Meath. "This is a local store
that has served my family well."
In the company’s heyday, the
payroll consisted on 60 employees. But now, it’s only Epstein and his partner
Steve.
News 12 is told the store is expected to close for good in November and a daycare center has since purchased the building.
“I think my father would love it, my
father loved children,” says Epstein. “It was the thing he like best about this
business.”