DII Seeks New Park Slope Location, Closing In January
The long-standing discount store owner wants to remain in the area, but there aren’t enough retail vacancies.
PARK SLOPE — DII has been in Park Slope for over 20 years. With the imminent loss of their current location, the discount store owner said they were looking for a new location.
“We have been searching for Park Slope for over a year,” Morris Dweck (owner of DII) told Upnitro “we have not found one location that is large enough.”
Dweck stated that their last day is January 22nd.
He said, “We are sorry to go — we would love for you to stay.”
Dweck stated that DII, which stands for Deals and Discounts, has been around the area for over 35 years.
The shop was located at 14th Street and Fifth Avenue back when it was still called Dee & Dee.
The company was renamed DII in 2008 and moved to its current location at 445 Fifth Ave.
Upnitro reported that a new tall residential tower was being built on the site last March. This signaled the demolition of the building, which houses DII and the New York Sports Club.
Dweck stated that the owner was a good person, but they were doing what they had to do for business.
He said the owners had invited him to return three years later when the building was complete. But Dweck declined, as the available space is only half of what they have now.
Dweck stated, “It’s difficult for us to operate effectively in a small space.” “There are fixed costs associated with running a retail business…but sales are lower when you have smaller locations.”
Dweck stated that it has been difficult to find enough space in Park Slope for a future DII shop.
He stated that although there are many smaller stores with less than 3,000 square feet, he has not seen anything in the 10-20,000 square foot space. None.
He said, “It’s about more than price — they don’t exist.”
Dweck must wait for a CVS/Walgreens to close before attempting to move in.
DII operates 18 stores in New York City and Long Island, as well as New Jersey. Park Slope residents can find the nearest store about three miles away on Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge.
Dweck admitted that while the store was not perfect, he said that he still hopes that DII can reopen a Park Slope location.
He told Upnitro that he had served Park Slope residents for over 35 years and “we have developed good relationships.”
Dweck stated, “That’s something which takes years to build, and it’s certainly not something that anyone wants to throw away.” Although we feel sorry that we are leaving, we know our customers depend on us. We hope to be back one day.
