Business

One-Eyed Bob’s in Greenport is the Arcade reincarnated

SUFFOLK TIMES FILE PHOTO | One-Eyed Bob’s Clearance Center & Discount Emporium is looking more and more like the old Arcade since it opened in August.

The store is still for sale, but the former Arcade that opened in August as One-Eyed Bob’s Clearance Center & Discount Emporium on Greenport’s Front Street is beginning to look just a bit like the old Arcade.

At least that’s how owner Bob Paquette sees it. When he opened in August with the new moniker, he announced plans to sell various odd lots week to week. Some six weeks later, he describes his operation as “a smaller version of what the store was.” Looking for toys, socks, mattress covers, kitchen gadgets, pillows, window shades, stationery?

You’ll find them at One-Eyed Bob’s, but in scaled-back volume, he said.

What you won’t find is some of the more upscale products he started to carry in the old Arcade because there’s just no market for them in this economy, he said.

He reopened the store in August, announcing that it was costing him money to maintain the property while he explored the possibility of selling it. He figured he’d rather have some income than no income as he explores the future, he said then.

That’s still his intent as he’s open on Fridays through Mondays and may even open on Thursdays during the rest of the year to see if there’s enough of a customer base to merit the extra day.

He’s basically operating the store himself with a couple of friends who help out, but if he opens on Thursdays, at least initially, he’ll be alone in the store, he said.

Looking ahead to 2012, he plans to close in January and — if the store is still unsold — reopen in late March or early April to capture Easter business, he said. Again, if he’s still there next summer, he’ll be stocking items for beachgoers.

And he’ll be running regular sales from time to time to keep his merchandise moving, he said.

“People are starting to realize we’re open again and we’re doing pretty well,” Mr. Paquette said.

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