Beloved Clothing Store Closing After 37 Years

Rexer Parkes, the popular woman’s clothing store at 35 Gerard St. in Huntington village, will close for the final time June 30 after 37 years of business.

Rexer-Parkes, a popular woman’s clothing store in Huntington village, will close June 30 after 37 years in business.

“It’s been wonderful – we wouldn’t trade a minute of it,” said owner Francine Rexer. “We hope all of our friends and loyal customers will come in and help us celebrate my retirement during the month of June. We look forward to saying goodbye and thank you. And it is an opportunity to take advantage of some gr

eat bargains during our final June sale.”

Founded in 1980 as Rexer-Parkes College Shop, the store originally catered to high school- and college-bound women during the “Preppy” era. Over time, Rexer-Parkes evolved with its customers, shedding the “College Shop” name and becoming the women’s specialty store that it is today.

The store has adapted to the ever-changing fashions of women’s retail by staying in touch with customers and their tastes over the decades. Many of the original Rexer-Parkes customers are still shopping there, and their daughters and granddaughters are too, Rexer said.

“We are a family run business and we’ve had the pleasure of growing up in the community with our customers – outfitting generations of women. We are grateful for our customers’ trust and loyalty,” Rexer said.

Rexer-Parkes has been a fixture at its 35 Gerard St. location for over 29 years, after moving from its original New York Avenue store. There are also Rexer-Parkes stores in Southampton and Atlanta.

Reflecting on the 37 years, Rexer said, “We will miss the joy of making our customer feel special and working together. More than that, we’ll miss and I’m forever grateful for the unwavering support our customers have given my family and me over the years.”

 The Rexers have lived in the Huntington community for over 50 years, and they’ve supported many local organizations during that time. The business has hosted numerous benefit events in support of groups like the Family Service League, Long Island Cares, North Shore Holiday House, The Heckscher Museum of Art, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition and local private and public schools.

Rexer said, “This community has given us so much support; giving back has always been a priority.”