By Candice Lombardi
Even before shopkeepers fully set up their displays, eager shoppers lined up to claim the best bargains as the annual Rye Sidewalk Sale got underway.
Throughout the weekend of July 16 to 18, savvy shoppers scored deals along Purchase Street’s best boutiques. Nearly every storefront and sidewalk table offered discounts, with driving rain on Saturday being the only cloud in the otherwise sunny retail outlook.
Starting at the south end of Purchase Street, children’s boutique Sammy + Nat filled outdoor bins with discounted baby clothing, pajamas, and accessories. Inside, raincoats, American flag sweaters, summer sweatshirts, and bathing suits for boys and girls ages two to eight years old were snatched up by shoppers.
Just across the street, The Stand featured chic, hard-to-find women’s clothing from around the world. A collection of fall and winter fleeces, sweaters, flannels, and Hey Gang jeans were displayed alongside colorful beach tops, cashmere sweaters, and coats. Around the corner, Sartina showcased an eclectic mix of contemporary high fashion designers for women, including Guest in Residence, Forte Forte and Chufy, all at deeply discounted prices. Stylish shearling boots, travel jewelry cases, and large canvas beach and pool tote bags added to the treasure hunt.
Jewelry lovers scored at Vincent’s Fine Jewelry store. The outside table displayed beautiful rings, 18-karat gold bracelets and necklaces all at 50 percent off, while the entire in-store collection was 20 percent off. I couldn’t resist purchasing one of the GiGi gold and blue resin bracelets for my daughter. Owner Vincent Perugini told me this special collection comes from the south of France.
Beauty lovers found their share of bargains too. Town & Country Hairdressers offered professional-size shampoos, conditioners and hair sprays while Plush Blow Dry promoted discounted blowout packages and treated shoppers to refreshing iced matcha drinks.
Further up the street, newcomer Baxter showcased outdoor racks of discounted men’s and women’s linen shirts, trousers, shorts, T-shirts, and jeans from brands including Favorite Daughter and Rag & Bone, along with a selection of Vince shoes. Owner Tim Baxter said the extensive local promotion of the Sidewalk Sale helped draw shoppers not only to the sale racks but also into the store, where many bought full-priced merchandise from top brands including Eleventy Milano, Hartford, Self-Portrait, and Stuart Weitzman.
The shopping deals were plentiful at Rye’s long-standing boutiques like Great Stuff, Palmer & Purchase, and Shoes ‘N’ More, where customers browsed a wide selection of jeans, dresses, blouses, handbags, shoes, and accessories. Like its neighbor, Baxter, Palmer & Purchase was reporting that customers were looking for bargains, but also buying the store’s full-priced merchandise as well, according Megan Graham, manager of Palmer & Purchase.
Besides outfitting themselves, some bargain hunters were buying for their homes and their health. Shoppers were poking through the rugs on sale at Carpet Trends. Others were getting $15 B-12 shots from The Drip Bar.
Meanwhile, across the street at Dabney Lee, crowds picked through colorful dresses, cosmetic bags, party goodies, and holiday overstock. Havana Jeans offered endless racks of tops, sweaters, jeans, and summer dresses priced at just $10, $20 and $25.
Sidewalk sales have been a retail tradition since the 1920s, when merchants first brought merchandise outdoors to attract foot traffic, clear end-of-season inventory, and welcome customers into their stores. Nearly a century later, the tradition is still working like a charm.
