MIDDLETOWN, New York — On Nov. 30 the New Middletown department store, which held its grand opening event on Nov. 17, attracted a number of community leaders including the Mayor of Middletown, Joseph M. DeStefano, and New York State Senator James Skoufis, who visited the store to issue a certificate of recognition and celebrate the store’s opening.
The department store sprawls across two floors in a recently restored building at 29-35 North Street in Middletown, New York.
Currently, the first floor features an exclusive selection from the Shen Yun collection, including fine jewelry, silk and cashmere items, and premium leather products including hand bags and a men’s collection.
The second floor features local and international items.
“From local ‘Made in USA’ goods to handpicked products from around the world, explore our market for the perfect additions to your home,” reads the department store’s website.
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Shoppers will be delighted to find a wide selection of other goods, including beauty and wellness products, food and drinks, home decor, houseware and more.
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A ‘renaissance’ in Middletown
Senator Skoufis described the recent opening of the New Middletown department store as contributing to a “renaissance” in the community.
“Usually the kind of contributions of this scale that we are talking about, investments of this scale, usually take 10, 20, 30 , 40 years to be realized,” Skoufis said, adding that, “To see the investment and contribution happening … is incredible.”
“The renaissance that’s happening in the city of Middletown, I would tell you, the mayor would tell you, anyone would tell you, is in large part, thanks to your contributions,” Skoufis said of the store’s owners which includes local, and the store’s CEO, Lili Zhou.
The store is unique in Middletown, and harkens back to the days before malls, when people primarily visited large department stores for their needs. It had closed in the 1980s.
“This department store, this type of department store … does not exist anymore,” Skoufis said, adding that both his parents and grandparents “yearn for the days of having department stores like this.”
“To see this in Middletown, to be part of the continued renaissance that is happening in this city is rewarding for me to see, but more importantly it’s gratifying for me to see and that gratitude extends to all of you and your employees who make this happen,” Skoufis said.
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‘It’s perfect’
Middletown Mayor, Joseph M. DeStefano, told Vision Times that the store is “perfect,” and that he “likes it a lot.”
“It’s perfect, I like it a lot. I think it’s good. It’s casual. It’s nicely done, tasteful,” he said, adding that it’s a unique experience with international flavors.
He said the new store brings back old memories of when this particular district in Middletown was awash in retail stores.
Eager shoppers can visit the store’s website to join its mailing list to be the first to know about new arrivals, exclusive deals and in-store events.
The store is located at 29-35 North Street and is open on Sunday and Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.