Clothing store chain celebrates anniversary

| 29 Sep 2011 | 01:47

West Milford — Only a few month after its store in the Bearfort Shopping Village celebrated 20 years in business last August, The Depot chain has its 33rd anniversary. The original Depot opened in Wayne Towne Center, adjacent to J.C. Penney’s, in 1975. Through-out the next several decades The Depot operated several enclosed mall stores in the tri-state area until opening in Bearfort Shopping Village in 1988. These original mall-based Depot Stores were opened with the marketing help of Levi-Strauss and did a brisk business in jeanswear. Stores were opened in Wayne Hills Mall, Hackettstown Mall, Saddle brook Mall, Wyckoff and Dover in New .Jersey. and Warwick and Sugar Loaf, in New York. In the fall of 1993 The Depot purchased “Casual Fair,” a Liz Claiborne outlet store in Parsippany. This changed the store’s focus from jeanswear to a ready-to-wear format and updated changed it’s merchandise offerings. By the fall of 1996 The Depot purchased “More for Less” in Cliffside Park, and started to alter it’s pricing strategies to become much more of a discounted family clothing store. In the fall of 1999 The Depot opened an outlet store in Olde Lafayette Village. Today The Depot carries national brands of clothing at discounted prices for the entire family. The senior buying staff purchases clothing from manufacturers like Liz Claiborne, Tribal Sportswear, Columbia Sportswear, Woolrich Sportswear, William Carters, Oshkosh B’Gosh, Levi Strauss, Lee Jeans, Wrangler, Jockey Underwear and many others. In most instances these manufacturers will price at suggested retail and The Depot will discount these products at a minimum of 20 percent off. The Depot also purchases from off-price specialists and contractors to supplement the discounted national brands. A story might have items from Coldwater Creek, Eddie Bauer, Carolyn Taylor and others. In Bearfort, the hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11a.m. to 4 p.m.