CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — For many years, Crown Heights residents have run their errands on Kingston Avenue, picking up groceries, shopping for clothing and furniture, as well as purchasing Judaica items. Yet recently, neighborhood businesses have been experiencing setbacks due to the economic downturn.
Kinderific Relocates
CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — For many years, Crown Heights residents have run their errands on Kingston Avenue, picking up groceries, shopping for clothing and furniture, as well as purchasing Judaica items. Yet recently, neighborhood businesses have been experiencing setbacks due to the economic downturn.
Kinderific, a store that offers a wide selection of clothing and specialty educational games for children of all ages, has retired from its location on Kingston Avenue and will be relocating to a new storefront in Boro Park. Upon perusing the store’s merchandise in Crown Heights, shoppers commented that a similar assortment was available at other stores in Boro Park. Although the owners find their prices to be on par or lower than those of Boro Park’s, they experienced a noticeable decline in sales since they opened on Kingston in March of 2007. Residents from Crown Heights admit that many of them have been traveling to another Brooklyn neighborhood to shop for their children, unaware that a store in their neighborhood carried just what they needed.
The owners are not completely dissatisfied with their venture in Crown Heights, which they say was initially successful. “The experience was amazing,” one said. “We were able to meet many people, some of whom we got to know quite well, and learn more about the community.”
Particularly rewarding was their customers’ satisfaction with their service. “It was a pleasure to have happy customers, especially when they returned to let us know that their children loved their purchases.”
With goals of expanding its merchandise selection and services to its customers, Kinderific hopes that its new location will enable the company to conduct business on a larger scale and broaden its clientele.
a poshitar yid
we as people think the grass is greener on the other side of town ! but as it says above it was not , IT WAS JUST AS
GREEN HERE IN CROWN HIGHTS,,the oweners were nice people , maybe someone can post there new address
great customer
You are surely missed in Crown Heights. I enjoyed shopping in your store. Always very friendly and trying to please the customers with a smile.
Hatzlacha Rabba
BS D
but why in bro park there are many clothing stores?
Shopper
Yes, they are very friendly there, not pushy and very understanding. I feel bad that it didn’t work out to its best that they feel they have to relocate. I hope you have alot of hatzlocho.
liked kinderific!
i loved ur store too! so friendly and nice with great prices! it will be missed!
bb
I believe it worked out nicely and that’s why they are moving!!!
Avigail G
the only store in CH that was selling good selection of educational toys for kids… i loved them and will have to travel to BP now:(
love that store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oy!I loved that store!!!!!!!!!! it was the best store in the neighborhood! best toys! best prices! FRIENDLY staff! you will surely be missed. wishing you much Hatzlacha in boro park, though i hope your mazal here in crown heights changes and you can stay! this store had all the basics with good service. many people just never realized what was in their own backyard. how sad.
Feigie
I enjoyed shopping there. I will miss the store. It was unique to Crown Heights.
Kan Tziva
The Rebbe instructed and encouraged to patronize Crown Heights stores and businesses. Anyone who want s the Rebbe’s schunah to florish should think about their spending habits, and on how to maximize spending right hre in the ‘hood.
shopper
Attention kinderific:
I have a credit there, what can I do with it. I dont want to loose it. Please let the public know how to contact you.
thank you very much
moshe
i hate shopping in crowh height.
shloime freundlich
May be some of the other stores in Crown Heghts,will learn to lower prices and have Customer Service . There are stores on Kingston that 11AM still are not open.I once waited till 11 Am ,the owner then made me waite outside till he finly finched some paper work at 11 30 am .One store told me they have a polcy not to help pepole.The Jewish dry cleaners are doble on some itmes then chinses cleners
Kinderific
Phone number is the same….credits are still good…
Chan
That is a real pity! I am a shlucha and I was so thrilled to be able to purchase nice clothing for my children that were tzniusdik and very reasonable when I came to crown heights.I enjoy every thing I bought there and it was a pleasure to not have to travel out of crown heights especially when we come for a short time.
Morah Miriam
esides for being the best store here, Morah Miriam was my son’s favorite Morah. I hope they do well wherever they go!
David
I only went in there once, as I only recently discovered it (I stick to shopping on Albany Av. where you also get great Customer Service). The owner is a real Mentch. It was a true pleasure, and you will be missed. Please let us know where the new location is in Boro Park. Thank You!
Out of town CH shopper
I like to shop on Kingston when I am in CH but like Shloimie Freundlich wrote, the late store openings of many of the stores causes them to lose business. People may find the most convenient time to shop to be early in the morning and end up driving to Target or some other early opening store. By midday in the summer it is hot outside and mall shopping might be taking away shoppers from CH because they want to beat the heat. Stores may find though, that the majority of shoppers don’t show up until noon or later so they find it a waste to pay help from 10 a.m.
I have not found lack of customer service to be a problem in CH stores and I have shopped at most of them. Many of the store owners get to know the customers. I have had store owners go out of their way to be helpful and some have gone well beyond the call of duty.
I shopped for my grandchildren at Kinderiffic and liked the fact that I could get affordable boys’ white Shabbos shirts. Anyone with boys knows that every boy needs several of those.
It is sad that many people who live in CH did not even know about Kinderiffic, possibly because they always leave the neighborhood to shop. To them I say give Kingston stores another chance. It sometimes pays to buy quality merchandise and have fewer clothes or toys than to buy cheap and always be throwing things away.
SCHUNE RESIDENT
SUPPORT THE SHCHUNA I AM ALL FOR SUPPORTING THE SHCHUNA, HOWEVER CROWN HEIGHTS PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SERVICE WE ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO DONT DESERVE THIS FROM EMPIRE KOSHER, TO THE BAGEL SHOP ON TROY AVE TO ESTHERS DELI ITS EVERYWHERE YOU GO IN CROWN HEIGHTS US PEOPLE IN CROWN HEIGHTS ARE TREATED BY THE STORE OWNERS AND EMPLOYEES AS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS THIS IS WHY PEOPLE DONT FEEL COMFORTABLE SHOPPING HERE.
IF BUSINESSES WOULD BE MORE SERVICE ORIENTED AND NOT MAKE ALL THE CUSTOMERS FEEL LIKE THE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE DOING US A FAVOR FOR BEING THERE AND OPENING ITS DOORS FOR US.
I CAN GO ON AND ON WITH PROBLEMS BUT LET ME SAY THERE ARE SOMEE GOOD STORES IN CH YES THEY MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE BUT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR ALBANY BETWEEN UNION AND EASTERN PARKWAY.
Penina Metal
What a loss to the community!
Wishing them brocha v’hatzlacha in their new location.
acnk
Its a shame that ppl. in CH think the prices here are so high, I do business all over NY and BP prices my items higher than any where else! CH is known for NOT supporting their comunity! I would like to also mention that economy fell since the above mentioned store opend its doors and business is tough anywhere. I hope they do well but things are tough for everyone now!
I like shopping in Crown Heights
Store owners in Crown Heights are for the most part respectful and helpful. So for the comment written in CAPS (which is like shouting over the net) that seems to be your personality. You get what you give. Store owners like regular people react to who people in Crown Heights treat them. Have respect for others and they will respect you. A crucial lesson to learn.
As per prices- become a savvy shopper. Calculate time and gas involved in shopping in BP. You may be surprised at the amount of money you actually save as opposed to the amount of money you think you save.
shopper
I am from out of town and everytime I came to NY I shopped there.They are very nice and helpful. They have excellent prices for their clothing, and their clothing IS VERY GOOD QUALITY. Maybe not the fanciest names or the most stylish , but good and practical stuff. Like we always imagine, the grass is greener on the other side. And I’ll bet ya their prices will be higher in BP then they were here.
Kinderific
Prices will not be higher; that we can guarantee! We will remain well priced and reasonable no matter where we are! Looking forward to greeting you!
mother of CH shopper
Kinderific, I am glad you posted. My daughter received a gift certificate and went to your store today to buy something and you are obviously closed. I left you a phone message on the store’s phone. Where is the new store? Will you be honoring gift certificates? She has only had it for about 2 weeks.
mother of CH shopper
Also can a gift certificate be used on your website? Is that still up and running?
Rabbi Pinchos Woolstone
There are many very fine retailers in CH.
However in todays climate stores need to be open from 900am until 700pm and 1000am until 600pm on Sunday and later during Tishrei.
Further it is important that merchandise is sold no higher than BP/Flatbush prices.
And to those who don’t smile and always put the customer first, change your approach now.
Customer please when you see these changes, shop from our brothers and sisters