July 15, 2015 By Michael Florio
Jackson Heights will soon be home of a Banana Republic outlet.
The clothing chain will be opening a location at 37-41 82nd Street this Fall, according to Sean Piazza, spokesman for Gap Inc., which owns Banana republic.
“We are pleased to open a Banana Republic Factory in Jackson Heights,” Piazza said. “At Gap Inc., we’re constantly reevaluating our real estate portfolio to ensure we have the right stores in the right places to best serve our customers.
Leslie Ramos, Executive Director of the 82nd Street Partnership, said that the outlet would be a welcome addition to the block.
“We have heard a lot of request for a clothing store like this, especially for men,” she said.
Ramos said that the outlet would not pose a threat to the small businesses in the area, in fact that it could even benefit them.
“Hopefully it will bring more foot traffic to the area,” she said. “I’m hoping that people will want to shop at the banana republic and go to our other local businesses during the holiday season.”
She also added that the location provided enough space for the chain, which is rare in this area. Many of the businesses are too small for a large chain, and many are owned by different landlords, which makes it more difficult to take over several small businesses and open a a large chain.
A GAP outlet, which is owned by the same company as Banana Republic, opened last year at 37-32 82nd Street.
“The other store [GAP] has been very successful since it opened,” Ramos said.
The site was formerly an ABC Super Store, which has since moved to a larger location on Junction Blvd.
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