Marshalls in Ozone Park reopened after undergoing six-months of repairs on Sunday, Dec. 17, with shoppers flocking to the discount store seeking holiday gifts and low-cost items.
Shoppers endured long check-out lines that wrapped around store as they got a chance to shop at the store once again which had been closed since June 30 for repairs.
The company, which is owned by TJX and operates 4,800 stores worldwide, shut the store citing safety concerns. At the time it closed, the building was experiencing leaks, with water stains on the ceiling tiles and buckets placed underneath them to catch the water that was coming in from the roof.
Marshalls, during the six-month period, recommended its customers go to its other locations including 168-23 Jamaica Ave, in Jamaica, 96-05 Queens Blvd in Rego Park and 351 Gateway Dr. in Brooklyn. The employees at the Ozone Park store were offered jobs at these locations while the store was temporarily closed.
The demand for the Ozone Park Marshalls was evident and if the long lines weren’t enough of an indication, the reaction to the reopening on Facebook provided more than proof that the store was missed.
“I went and stood in line for an hour and 45 minutes, but it was worth it just to have Marshalls back,” wrote Erica Lynn Smith in response to a post on the Ozone Park Block Association Facebook page.
Meanwhile, Anne Dalbora Mccauley also chimed in, also posting a positive comment on the Ozone Park Block Association page.
“It was packed but all the merchandise was in order. They had a lot of inventory in all departments,” Mccauley wrote. “The check out line in the afternoon took 1 1/2 hours but everyone was friendly and patient. Glad this store reopened, it’s important to the neighborhood.”
The progress pertaining to the store’s repairs was a hot topic while it was temporarily closed.
Sam Esposito, president of the Ozone Park Residents Block Association, tried to keep residents up to date while it was being repaired and made multiple posts up until it reopened.
Still, some were quick to complain about the long lines and other issues at the location. For instance, issues with the small parking area at the front of the Marshalls, circulated in various comments online. Flooding concerns in the parking lot also come-up in older comments on the OZPK Residents Block Association Facebook posts.
Overall, the community response to the reopening of the Ozone Park Marshalls remains positive and the retailer thanked the public for its patience while it was closed.
“We’re very pleased to have reopened our Ozone Park location, and wish to thank our customers for their patience while the store was closed for repairs. We’re glad to be able to once again offer our loyal Ozone Park customers high quality gifts and home fashions, all at the everyday great values Marshalls is known for,” Marshalls said in a statement to QNS. “And with our ever-changing mix of merchandise, we know our customers will discover something unexpected and be inspired when they shop our Ozone Park store this holiday season and beyond!”
Marshalls is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and closes early on Sundays at 6 p.m. Holidays may change store hours.
