Dec. 18, 2017 By Christian Murray
Bings Hallmark, which has been located at 45-15 Greenpoint Ave. since 2011, is closing next month.
The closing represents an end of an era, since there has been a Hallmark store located at that Greenpoint Avenue address for at least 50 years.
The owners of the store, Czarinna Andres and her brother Arthur DeLeon, said that they have been working seven days per week to keep the business going and with declining sales it is no longer a worthy endeavor.
“Both Arthur and I have a young child,” Andres said, who has a 4-year-old boy. “It’s difficult spending so much time and energy on the business when you have a child. In addition, we were not getting the financial reward to make it worthwhile.”
Big box stores and online shopping has made it tough, Andres said. “Our margins have been getting smaller and smaller with each successive year.”
Andres said that the store will be discounting its items from now until they close.
“It’s a sad day for our staff and for our family ,” Andres said. “We have so many memories. We have met and made so many friends…but the store no longer makes for a sustainable lifestyle.”
Nevertheless, Andres said that she will continue to be active in Sunnyside. She is a member of Community Board 2 and has recently joined Sunnyside Community Services as the non-profit’s Director of Volunteer Services and Community Relations.
Meanwhile, DeLeon, a Woodside resident, has started an online retail venture promoting Queens-themed products.
Shorty after Andres and DeLeon bought the store (Photo: QueensPost)
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28 Comments
[…] News of the locale’s fate comes after Bing’s Gifts, across the street from Jane’s Gifts, closed in January after a seven-year run. […]
Good maybe something useful will move there
The number of actual cards sold at Woodside House decreased significantly over the years. When I go into a Hallmark store, I would like to see a selection of cards. The owners made the decision to limit the selection of cards and offer higher-priced items, like clothing, figurines, anything but cards. I had no interest in buying things like that. Maybe they felt they could not stay in business otherwise. I stopped going into Woodside House when they stopped mailing me $2 or $3 coupons after purchasing a number of cards. I asked why and they said the program was discontinued. I decided to buy cards at Rite Aid because the store offered a larger selection than Woodside House and at more reasonable prices. Woodside House chose to sell higher-priced items and limited the selection of cards. That was their choice.
It’s called Bing’s Gifts. What planet are you from?
this is the nature of this area. there’s tons of competition around. you cant beat the dollar store…2 cards for $1. Probably the same reason McDonalds closed…Wendy’s was a block in front and had direct access to Queens Blvd, and free parking.
spend good money to give people rides on a fake trolley when they should be actually helping businesses thrive and survive, what the hell does sunnyside BID do again?
All small business in the area are suffering with high rent.
These landlords want to charge an arm and a leg for rent, leaving us small business owners with many hours of work with a high overhead and low income.
They had a great card selection.
It’s Amazon’s fault
End of an era. What does the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce say about this?
nothing they are on the payroll just like everyone else
What could they do about it?
Who’s payroll? Please share with us.
Worse loss is the kitchen (formerly white cake bakery) on 43rd av
What happened to The Kitchen, my favorite breakfast place?
A fond farewell, and I wish them well. Hopefully they have good memories from Sunnyside.
What a wonderful store this is/was, beautifully kept and so many things not found anywhere else. So sorry to hear this news! Czarinna and Arthur could not have been more generous with local causes, and their staffers were helpful and kind to all. sigh
Place your bets, what do you think that place will be:
a) vintage/thrift store to compete with the one across the street
b) hair/nail salon
c) pharmacy
d) bar
e) restaurant
f) dry cleaners
Laundromat strip joint
a bodega…or another cell phone store. the bodega next to papa johns closed…who would have thought that opening a store next to 3 larger supermarkets in the area would not end well.
99 cent store
“For Rent” – the most popular minimalist chain in North America
g) cell phone store
1/2 Trader Joe’s
a bar where grumpy sunnysidepost commenters can meet other grumpy sunnysidepost commenters
Small retail stores like this have been closing for many years- Bing’s only survived this long because of all the pedestrians on Greenpoint Avenue. People simply do not go from small store to small store to buy things, supermarkets, malls, and department stores have made small retailers an endangered species. Our neighborhood is unique but it won’t last long if people keep making 95% of their purchases at yjr Queens Center Mall.
What year are you in? No one shops at Queens Center.
So sorry to hear this. They will be missed.