Retailer Century 21 Makes a Comeback in Manhattan

Century 21. Image by Andrew Scherer for Catch New York, courtesy of Century 21.

Luxury fashion retailer Century 21 will be reopening its flagship location in Manhattan’s Financial District at 22 Cortlandt St. Experiences company LEGENDS is partnering with the company on the opening of the renovated 100,000-square-foot space.

Despite shutting down during the pandemic, the store now occupies the four primary floors of its original space. Century welcomed luxury designers Fendi, Chloe, Kenzo, Givenchy and Halston back to the downtown location.

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Contemporary style brands including ALC, Lagence, Simkhai, LoveShackFancy, Sovere and Mon Renn are also present at the property. Other retailers include Kappa, Obey, Theory, Helmut Lang, Hugo Boss, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Corridor New York.

Tourism, consumer demand buoy retail

Manhattan’s retail market exhibited signs of progress in the first quarter of 2023, as revealed by a recent CBRE report which showed a marked year-over-year improvement. The recovery of international tourism and heightened consumer interest in the luxury and entertainment industries have helped the retail market gain a stronger foothold.

There was a 5.4 percent increase in total leasing activity, including renewals and new leases, over the previous quarter and a 14.5 percent increase compared to the corresponding period last year, according to the same report.

In addition, New York City Tourism + Conventions, the city’s tourism board, forecasts that approximately 63.3 million travelers will visit Manhattan by the end of 2023. This projection reflects a notable 12.2 percent rise from the 56.4 million visitors recorded in 2022.