# Judy Duzich

> Judy Duzich is the merchandising chief at Century 21 Stores, the lower-Manhattan off-price retailer famous for stocking designer labels at 40 to 65 percent off. She joined Century 21 as an assistant buyer in 1990, spent roughly three decades climbing to vice president and divisional merchandise manager, left after the chain shut down in 2020, and returned in 2022 to help rebuild it. When Century 21 reopened at 22 Cortlandt Street in May 2023 - 100,000 square feet across four floors, down from 250,000 across seven - Duzich was the one deciding what actually went on the racks. Her stated brief was to make the assortment more curated, more elevated and more relevant, organized by brand and by style instead of piled into bins, with fresh deliveries arriving constantly so that the store's famous treasure-hunt logic still worked. A Fashion Institute of Technology graduate in marketing and fashion merchandising, she is one of the few people who has bought for Century 21 in three separate decades.

- **Role:** Chief Merchant Officer / Vice President and General Merchandise Manager at Century 21 Stores
- **Organizations:** Century 21 Stores, Haddad Brands
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor's Degree, Marketing / Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Led merchandising for the relaunch of Century 21 Stores in May 2023, one of the most closely watched retail reopenings in New York., Rebuilt a full designer and contemporary assortment for a 100,000-square-foot store after the chain had liquidated its inventory and closed all 13 locations., Rose from assistant buyer in 1990 to the top merchandising role at the same retailer across more than three decades.

## Career timeline

- **1985** — Begins studying marketing and fashion merchandising at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
- **1990** — Joins Century 21 Stores as an assistant buyer.
- **1992** — Promoted to Buyer, Kids at Century 21 Stores.
- **2004** — Becomes Vice President / Divisional Merchandise Manager, Kids.
- **2020** — Named Vice President / Divisional Merchandise Manager for Kids, Home and Beauty shortly before Century 21 announces it is closing all 13 stores.
- **2021** — Joins Haddad Brands as Vice President of Business Development.
- **2022** — Returns to Century 21 Stores as Vice President / General Merchandise Manager to build the assortment for the relaunch.
- **2023** — Century 21 reopens at 22 Cortlandt Street on May 16 with 100,000 square feet across four floors; Duzich leads merchandising for the relaunch.
- **2023** — Appears on the Glossy Podcast with COO Larry Mentzer to discuss the store's comeback; Century 21 e-commerce launches in the fall.

## Achievements

- Led merchandising for the relaunch of Century 21 Stores in May 2023, one of the most closely watched retail reopenings in New York.
- Rebuilt a full designer and contemporary assortment for a 100,000-square-foot store after the chain had liquidated its inventory and closed all 13 locations.
- Rose from assistant buyer in 1990 to the top merchandising role at the same retailer across more than three decades.
- Shifted Century 21's floor logic from dense bin-and-rack off-price to a brand-and-style boutique layout while holding discounts at 40 to 65 percent off.
- Helped the reopened flagship draw pre-pandemic-level foot traffic on its first day back.
- Expanded the buying focus toward new, emerging, European and young contemporary labels to attract a younger customer.

## Latest updates

- **2022-03** — Returned to Century 21 Stores as Vice President / General Merchandise Manager to lead merchandising for the planned relaunch.
- **2023-05** — Century 21 reopened at 22 Cortlandt Street on May 16 with Duzich's assortment; the store drew pre-pandemic-level traffic on opening day.
- **2023-10** — Appeared on the Glossy Podcast with COO Larry Mentzer to discuss the comeback, e-commerce plans and possible expansion to Miami and Los Angeles.
- **2024-05** — Century 21 marked one year back in business at the single Manhattan flagship.

## Links

- Website: https://c21stores.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/judyduzich455

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/judy-duzich
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-27