Exclusive | Loehmanns eyes comeback after disappearing nearly a decade ago under a surprise retail owner

Loehmann’s is eyeing a comeback on the web after disappearing nearly a decade ago — and the storied retail brand’s unlikely backer is former rival Century 21, The Post has learned.New York-based Century 21 quietly scooped up the Loehmann’s name in 2020 — six years after Loehmann’s liquidated its chain with its third bankruptcy filing, according to Century 21’s chief executive Raymond Gindi. Now, a one-page website teases that “Loehmann’s is coming back.Online.”It also says the “Back Room is (almost) Back.” The site, which also allows customers to submit an email address for future news, shows no indication that Century 21 is behind the launch.“We are networking with a few partners to bring back a re-imagined Loehmann’s experience and will have more to share in the coming months,” Larry Mentzer, Century 21’s chief operating officer, told The Post.Mentzer also said there are discussions to open bricks and mortar Loehmann’s stores but added “nothing is confirmed.”Back in their heyday, Century 21 and Loehmann’s were fierce competitors in a niche of discounters who peddled designer duds including Filene’s Basement, Daffy’s and Syms – which all succumbed to stiff competition from the likes of bigger, better-funded rivals like TJ Maxx and Ross Stores.Nevertheless, customers still hanker for Loehmann’s, according to Century 21.“Loehmann’s continues to rank high as a retail destination that consumers recall, admire [and] want to patronize,” Mentzer added.The broiling tariff war has not “factored into the decision-making process for re-launching “Loehmann’s – at this point,” Mentzer added, insisting that “product is definitely available.”Both Century 21 and Loehmann’s thrived on the thrill of the ‘treasure hunt’ in which shoppers dig through racks and bins of designer apparel to find a gem in the rough.But if the plans proceed, the century-old Loehmann’s brand will leapfrog Century 21 digitally.

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