Deals, deals and more deals in Cedarhurst!

For shoppers who like a bargain, roughly 80 stores and restaurants will be part of the 31st annual Summer Sidewalk Sale in the Village of Cedarhurst’s business district that gets under way on July 10.

The Cedarhurst Business Association started the event in 1988 and the village’s Business Improvement District continued it after they formed in 1993. Some merchants have participated in the sale for many years. This includes women’s clothing store Zoe and Co. at 508 Central Ave., as co-owner Claudia Kirk said that this will be the store’s 19th year taking part in the four-day event.

“This sale is great for bringing in more money and attention to the village,” she said. “I think a big thing we try to accomplish with this sale is to get people from outside the Five Towns to come and shop and we’ve been successful with that.”

BID Executive Director Teri Schure said that the event is more than just shopping for bargains. “Not only are there the sales, but I think that this serves as a great social event,” she said. “People come from all over Long Island and as far as New Jersey. They check out the sales, grab a bite to eat and then do some food shopping at Gourmet Glatt.” 

The shoe store Buckles on 429 Central Ave. will be participating for the second time. Storeowner Daniel Gaiero likes the “togetherness” the sale brings to the village. “I just love the camaraderie of the sale,” Gaiero said. “It’s a great sight seeing everybody walking up and down the streets visiting all the stores.” Buckles has been in business for two years and Gaiero said he had no hesitations about taking part. “The sale helps drive traffic and increase sales for us,” he said. “We also didn’t want to be viewed as the black sheep of the village by not participating.”

Cedarhurst village Trustee Ari Brown has been a BID board member since 1998. Brown noted the progress the village has made over the years when it comes to filling up the storefronts. “When I joined the board in 1998, we had a 20 percent store vacancy rate,” he said. “Now its only at 3 percent.”

The sale event serves as an economic engine for businesses that need to rev up revenue. “If any of the stores have a down year in sales, the sidewalk sale can help put them over the top,” Brown said. “The BID puts a lot of work into the sale, we spend about $10,000-$15,000 on advertising to spread the word about it.” 

Schure acknowledged that technology has changed the way people shop, and believes that in-house shopping is vital. “These days, many people do their shopping online,” she said. “I think its important for us to support our local businesses by shopping in-person.” 

For more information on the sidewalk sale, go to www.shopcedarhurst.com.