After serving the Great Neck community for more than 60 years, Postur-Line Childrens Shoes has closed.
Jay Corn, vice president of the Great Neck Business Improvement District, said the shoe store – which was known as the place where parents went to buy their small children’s shoes – had been in business since 1947.
He said Postur-Line, which was located at 58 Middle Neck Road, is a business that will be missed.
“It’s another bullet to the downtown area,” Corn said.
Steven Dann, owner of Steven Dann, a shoe store located at 81 Middle Neck Road, said he had spoken to a former employee at Postur-Line who said the business closed for personal issues, not because of a lack of business.
However, that doesn’t stop some from missing one of the staples of the downtown business community.
Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender said it’s always sad to see a store that has been in the town so long close.
“I have recollections of taking [my daughter] for kids shoes for the first time there,” Celender said. “It’s an unfortunate thing an institution like that has to close.”
The business’ phone line had been disconnected when called.
“It’ll have a negative impact for a short amount of time,” said Ron Edelson, executive director of the Business Improvement District. “It was a strong, reputable place and a trusted place.”
Corn said Postur-Line is one of many businesses that has closed in Great Neck in recent years including La Rotonda Pizza Restaurant, an Italian restaurant located at 8 Bond Street in Great Neck Plaza, which closed its doors in June after 14 years of business.
Corn said the Business Improvement District and the Village of Great Neck Plaza have been in discussions to try to get people to shop in Great Neck – not only from Great Neck itself but from outside Great Neck — to help keep older businesses alive.
Corn said not as many people are shopping in Great Neck as they used to.
“There are a number of different reasons, such as catalog and internet shopping making it more convenient to shop from home now,” Corn said. “The demographics are changing in the area.”
Corn said merchants have to be able to compete with online retailers if they want to stay in business.
“We also need merchants that want to help themselves,” Corn said. “That means merchants that will combine their efforts, that will stay open uniform hours, that will spend some money on advertising.”
He said the days where a business could thrive on having a couple of people who know their business in town are long gone. He said the world is much more competitive, and businesses need to act in such a manner.
Edelson said the economy is different than it was 20 years ago, and that has had a negative impact on many local stores.
He said local businesses should develop an online presence and a mobile presence as well.
“There are few downtowns that can exist solely on their own communities anymore,” Edelson said. “
