Evesham Retail Summary 2021



It was another strange year for retail in 2021.  At times, it seemed we were still in the early days of the pandemic where everything was closed.  At other times, looking at crowded parking lots, you would think Covid was a thing of the past. Unfortunately it is still here, and one of the most obvious ways it is still affecting us is when stores or restaurants have to close temporarily due to being severely understaffed and shortages of items at the grocery stores.

If you had to guess whether Evesham had more retail openings or closings in 2021, what would be your guess?  Was it a good year for retail?  To give a little framework for guessing, here is how things have gone the last 2 years.

In 2019, there were 30 openings and 22 closings.

In 2020, there were 24 openings and 30 closings.  

But before we look at the openings and closing for 2021, a look at the top news stories for the year.

1) Chicken or the Egg coming to Marlton!



This should really be counted as 1) and 2), because not only was it the top news story for Evesham for the year, it was also the top story for A View From Evesham ever!

I admit this that I didn't realize this news was significant.  I haven't been to Long Beach Island since the mid 80s, and I had never heard of Chicken or the Egg.  But my post quickly went viral, being shared more than 1100 times, and being picked up by a few legitimate news sources.  (Others just took my story and pretended it was their own, but that's a story for another day.)  This was not the first time A View From Evesham 'broke' a story, but this was the only one that went viral in such a way.

Chicken or the Egg is a popular Beach Haven restaurant which is open 24/7 during the summer.  Over the past 30 years, it has become a go to spot for wings, all day breakfast, sandwiches and more.  The new Marlton location will not be 24/7, but will have a distinguishing feature, the first of its kind in Evesham: a beer garden!

Beer garden to the left of the restaurant!


You can read the full details of the new restaurant here:  https://www.facebook.com/AViewFromEvesham/posts/842529269671830

Construction began in June 2021 and it is expected to open some time in 2022.

2) Retail Cannabis on the way!

Back in 2020, New Jersey voters approved the legalization of possession and use of marijuana for persons age 21 and older and the cultivation processing and sale of retail marijuana.  Statewide, the the vote was 67% in favor, 23% opposed.  Locally, Evesham voters approved it 71 to 29%.

After the vote, townships had to decide whether to allow cannabis operations in their town.  During 2021, Evesham Township Council passed ordinances to allow for the sale and cultivation in limited areas in town.  There still needs to be some regulations at the state level before New Jersey will see retail operations, but we can probably expect to see that in the coming year.  Operators would need to be licensed by the state and then approved at the local level.  At least one party has expressed interest in obtaining a license to cultivate in Evesham.



And now the lists.  There were 26 store openings in 2021 and 18 store closings.  There are a bunch of interesting stores on the way as well for 2022.  A few disclaimers first.  I try to focus on retail stores and restaurants, but some service industries are included in this list as well - if they opened in a strip mall, they are included.  Pep Boys closed their retail operation only.  I am not sure the exact date that 73 Seafood closed.  It may have closed in 2020, but since I did not include it in my summary last year, I have included it here.


List of Stores that opened in 2021

Ace Smoke Shop

Bagel-Wich

bb.q Chicken

Bistro di Marino

Canvas Studio

Central HIIT

Chef Zhang

Diana's Bag

Ivy Rehab

Keller Williams

Lens Crafters

Longshore Breakfast & Lunch

LunchboxWax

Marlton Cuts & Colors

McHugh BJJ

Olive Pit Eatery

PDQ

Playa Bowls

Roosters

Ruby Day Spa

Sephora

Spirit Halloween

Tamu Food Mart

Tiger Schulman's Martial Arts

Ultimate Adventures

Williams Jewelry


List of Stores that closed in 2021

73 Seafood

Bleu Bear Market

Caroline's Jewelry

Donna's Bag

Fantastic Sams

Gap

Gap Kids

Great Clips

Greene Street

Investor's Bank

Monroe & Kent

Nailed It!

Paper Source

Pep Boys (Retail only)

Speedy Gas

Spirit Halloween

Supercuts

Zenplicity


List of stores that moved in 2021

Alicia DiMichelle

Fantasy Gifts

Gaetano's

Sykes & Lanno

Sleep Number

SmartBodies


On the Way - stores announced and/or under construction

Angel Spa

Bagelati (Opened January 4th!)

Black Tie CBD

Bubble's Bakers

Chicken & the Egg

Chopt

Cinder Bar

Evesham Kitchen & Bath

Lakeview Dental

La Scala Fire expansion (with liquor license!)

Mayweather Boxing + Fitness

Misha of Siberia Furs (Opened January 6th)

Nike

OVME

Panda Express

Sammy's Express

Xfiniti


Did I miss any stores?  Please let me know!

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