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Date: 5/4/2018
WEST SPRINGFIELD – On April 27, the Skechers outlet store in the Century Center complex hosted its grand opening ceremony – the soft opening was conducted a few weeks prior.
Mayor William Reichelt attended the event for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. The store, which is located on 219 Memorial Ave., is the only Skechers in the greater Springfield area, with the next closest being located at the Lee Premium Outlets in Berkshire County. Century’s Skechers is employing 35 people, and is occupying a 10,000-square foot space. The space was previously used by a Party City.
Plaza owner Andrew Cohen said the store has been doing very well.
“They [Skechers] are very pleased with how the store is selling – they are running promotions, and, at times, people are buying more than two pairs of shoes at once,” he commented. “We think that this will be a very good tenant and we hope that this will generate other interest in the Center for the additional prospective tenants we’re dealing with.”
Skechers is a $4 billion California-based company that offers sneakers, dress shoes, sandals and boots for men, women and kids – ranging from infants, to toddlers to grade school sizes. On top of selling clothing items, West Side’s Skechers will also include the company’s line of performance shoes, which features Gorun and Gowalk. The company sells its footwear in department, specialty and independent stores, while making its product available to more than 160 countries and territories.
The Century Center is owned by Century Investment Company, a third-generation-family-owned business founded in the 1950s by the Cohen brothers – Abe, Jack and Gilbert. The Cohens were well-known real estate investors and developers.
Today, the company is led by Andrew Cohen, son of Gilbert Cohen, and Andrew’s daughter Elizabeth Cohen Rappaport. The company owns and manages shopping centers and office buildings in Springfield, West Springfield, Palmer and Enfield. Some of the other national retailers featured in the plaza include TJ Maxx, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Bank of America, GNC and others.
Cohen told Reminder Publications that he thinks West Springfield will be a great market for the new Skechers.
“I think they [Skechers] chose this location because it’s central – there is an ease to get to the Center itself. It also has high visibility, we are not a mall so you can see the store from the street as you are driving by,” he commented. “The Big E is just down the street, and that brings in an excess of a couple million patrons a year. So, these are all good things.”