Century 21 Department Store

This place is definitely the number one shopping destination for bargain hunting. As several of the other reviews say, it is excellent for basics like underwear, tights, socks. During my last trip here I loaded up on Gold Toe socks and Calvin Klein and Nine West tights that last for ages.
The other department for AMAZING buys is luggage….if you are visiting NYC I suggest taking a crap piece of luggage to leave and swapping for a better suitcase here. I picked up a 4-wheeled large Samsonite case for $80 (around £50) .
Tip: Arrive early to beat the crowds, they open at 8am on weekdays (although I suggest checking the website to confirm store hours). Shop on!!!

In my opinion, the first address in NYC for discount shopping.
But keep in mind that this shop is a discount shop. That means excellent offers concerning “everyday stuff” like socks, underwear, ties, business shirts etc. but for casual clothes/evening dresses you have to search quite a lot to find a good deal in a hectic atmosphere.

Don’t get me wrong, I love rummaging in shops Like this, but I did nt find anything worth buying. There s. Tons of designer stuff, you just have to be careful and ask yourself if you re buying it for the label or for the actual thing.

Think TK Maxx - but better - with the rudest staff on earth.

It seems that Century 21 only employs people who refuse to adopt the usually amazing American customer service track record. I guess they get away with it because we bargain hunters will turn a blind eye to their exceptional rudeness in light of the bargains to be had.

From designer sunglasses, handbags and lingerie to evening gowns, jeans, suits and stable pieces, this store is packed to the rafters with cut price (seriously, seriously cut price) designer goods.

The store is vast and it can take half a day to really circumnavigate, but once you know the drill (elbows out, no eye contact etc) it's well worth the time for serious shoppers.

I quite enjoyed Century 21 when I visited over two years ago. I liked it so much, I went back there once more during my eight day trip. It's a big discount department store with loads of items at fantastic discounts, including J Brand jeans and Spanx tights. As with all bargains, you've got to have a ton of patience to hunt them down!

I don't see how anyone could give this place less than 5 stars!

It's an absolute Aladdin's Cave of designer items for ridiculously low prices (Vivienne Westwood heavy knit cardigan for $100 anyone?) and if you sort of know what you want you can find anything.

My boyfriend bought a beautiful Hugo Boss coat for $350 (hello?!) and the Calvin Klein underwear is Primark prices.

Of course the staff are unhelpful and of course it's a mess but if you are ready to spend a good afternoon scouring the store for deals you won't be disappointed.

A bit like the uk's TKMaxx but 10 tines better. Designer brands at really cheap prices. Can't beat it... Only problem is the big queues on a weekend!!

Great place for designer clothing, shoes, bags and cosmetics. Best time of day to come is either as soon as they open or in the early afternoon. Many people who work around there shop at lunchtime and after work. The tourists shop there on weekends. SO expect long lines and waiting time and even mess and chaos at these times and days. The best day to go is Wednesday as this is the day when they re-stock or bring in new items. Be prepared to look and always inspect merchandise before you buy!

Imagine a giant thrift store, where everything is top-brands. That is Century21!

Feels like a jumble sale, jam-packed and u need half a day to fish through most of the crap to find a gem!

Worth it if u are shopping inclined with time on your hands!

I really didn’t like this store. It was kind of like one of those American shops that you see in 60s movies in terms of decor and layout. The whole shop is just jampacked to the point you can’t move and it’s really hard to find the shoe department (granted though it’s worth it as the shoe is the best department). It’s a bargain place there’s no denying that but it’s kind of like a huge jam packed mess. In England I like rummaging through TKMaxx but this was just far too big and far too full to do that. I also found that while the jeans were ok, the clothes themselves seemed a bit fuddyish. Some people have said they have found good bargains and I guess on some days you could but I must have picked a bad day. It’s a really big shop and easy to find as there are loads of entrances and I found some really nice rocket dogs in the shoe department.

Century 21 is a department store which is famous for discounted designer stuffs but you’ve got to work for it and dig around if you want anything decent. I’ve been probably about 3-4 time spending at least 3-4 hours in there and on all occasions I’ve been absolutely worn out by the time we left!

Most of the shoppers are generally polite but you do get the odd rude person who just makes it uncomfortable for you when they nearly knock you over or refuse to move out of the way etc. The best advice is to hit the store at opening (I think sometimes it even opens at 7am!) and then you have at least a blessed hour or two with relatively few people about.

The worst kept secret for shopping in the city. Situated near Ground zero, Its a huge department store ( not as big as Macys but more confusing). There is a large selection of stock for all ages and the handbag section isn’t too bad either.

The make up counters are nothing special.

You have to be prepared to rummage as put up with large crowds, if you can’t handle it pay full price elsewhere as you will hate this shop.

There are some great designer bargins but don’t get carried away with a label as it will be soo easy to do.

The staff are a bit hit and miss which is a shame but they must have to put up with on a daily basis its understandable why some get a bit mardy.

i love it and I hate it but always go when Im there. One day it might all be rubbish and the next its full of paul Smith shirts at a fraction of the price. Start in the entrance opposite Ground Zero-amazingly this place went unscathed and it was right under the buildings. Here walk through the mens section and go straight for the handbags and designer sunglasses, ive always had great bargains here. Downstairs are the shoes and also upstairs-confusing. Skip the beauty hall no real bargains-go to macys sales instead. Fsahion will take you all day and dont be shy because youl;l be dead before you see the end of the fitting room queue so jump behind a rail and try it on.
Now the sales assistants are a law unto themselves and not very polite. Dont you dare approach the till before they say you can. remeber sales tax added at the till and they staple the recipt to the bag=why=dont know and ive never dared askl!!!

I spotted this HUUUGE store after visiting Ground Zero as its very close by. They have lots of the regular departments - womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, footwear, perfume, beauty… but my favourite section of the store has to be the handbag department! The handbags are in a massive room and are mostly at highly discounted prices. Lots of the bags are also designer so you can really grab a few bargains if you have the patience to hunt through the fully stacked racks and shelves - be warned though, it can get very busy so don’t be afraid to use your elbows to get to the real bargains :D

Staff are very friendly when greeting you to the store and helping you look for products if you want to find something in particular.

I have a love hate relationship with this store. I really do hate the customer service there, I have met helpful and friendly staff on maybe one occasion of about 30. HOWEVER, you can’t knock the cheap prices and it is almost pleasant now on the ground floor since they have refurbished it. However, back to the negative, do not think about taking a kid in a stroller beyond the ground floor unless you are very patient (to wait for the one grotty elevator hidden behind the sock section of Men’s wear) or strong enough to lug the child up the stairs.
Beware should you want to try something on, the changing rooms are about a mile away from the second floor women’s section on the third floor..and if you should want an exchange or refund, well good luck finding that elusive place on the third floor. It’s a mixed bag to be honest, but I keep shopping there….

If you love fashion designer gear then this is the place to shop as you get the names for a fraction of the price.This store doesn’t look like the usual keep it tidy stores of ny where things are sparce in amounts(we never found 2 items the same size in all other stores)We had such a great time in this store & went home with 2 bag fulls for around 30% of normal priced gear & as with all clothing goods you could take as much home as would fit as you don’t need to declare any as long as you don’t go over your weight….a good idea is take a half empty case

This place is situated Downtown opposite the Ground Zero site. It has all the big labels and plenty of them. When you first go in you may be excused for thinking it looks a bit of a jumble sale compared to every other shopping store in NY. Though it’s when you start to sieve through the store you notice not only do they ahve top quality clothes they also have them at great prices. So this is the place to go if you want to give your wardrobe a make over. There is plenty to be had just be patient and you are bound to find something for a bargain!!

came across 21st century by accident whilst spending a day walking around wall street / bowery park / ground zero area -fantastic place with great bargains - ended up scooping up a lot of cool stuff - well whats a girl to do when she finds a little delight like this ;)
- now know/realise just how famous the place is - definitely worth the time and effort seeking it out - ENJOY !

Great place to go if you like to rummage! The shop was untidy and a bit manic, but this is to be expected. Its def an experience. The prices are great too!