We are
Organization: Pearl River Mart
Date Opened: May 1, 2021
Address: 452 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
Hours of Operation: Monday – Sunday 11 am – 7 pm
Web and Social Media: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Read our short interview below with Pearl River Mart’s Marketing Manager, Angela Tung, for more information!
1. What does your organization do? What industry are you in?
Established in 1971 as a “friendship store,” Pearl River Mart is an iconic NYC retail outlet for Asian-inspired gifts, fashion, ceramics, snacks, and everything in between. Our newly opened SoHo flagship store at 452 Broadway is also home to the city’s only Asian American art gallery, the inaugural exhibition of which opens June 11. Corky Lee on My Mind: A Photographic Tribute pays homage to the legendary photographer who passed away this January. The humorously self-dubbed “undisputed unofficial Asian American Photographer Laureate” will be honored with photos from friends, colleagues, activists, and mentees. On view through Aug. 29. Free and open to the public.
2. What brought you/your organization to SoHo?
Due to failed rent negotiations, we were forced to closed our TriBeCa/Chinatown flagship location at 395 Broadway. However, we’re so happy to be back in our old neighborhood of SoHo, where we resided at 477 Broadway from 2003 to 2016, and are thankful to our new landlords who have decided to take a chance with small family-run businesses like Pearl River.
3. What sets your organization apart from the rest?
Pearl River Mart has always been more than just a store. When Ming Yi Chen (aka “Mr. Chen”) started Pearl River in 1971 with a group of fellow student activists, it was a way to show New Yorkers that mainland China had much to offer through tasty foods, useful products, and beautiful objects. At the time this was a radical idea: diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China were frozen, and trade was embargoed. But with unfailing determination and stubborn optimism, they made it happen.
Over the next five decades, Mr. Chen along with his along with his wife Ching Yeh Chen (who joined Pearl River soon after it was founded) grew Pearl River into a beloved NYC institution where generations of New Yorkers and visitors from all walks of life came together to delight in treasures that were beautiful, fun, meaningful, and comforting.
The same holds true today. Several moves, closings, reopenings, and a pandemic later, Pearl River is still standing. Surviving and hopefully thriving. We are proud to be a symbol of pride and a torchbearer of culture for the Asian American community. And we are especially proud to represent the very best of New York City — by being colorful, authentic, opinionated, and welcoming to all.
4. Is there a promotion that you would like to offer readers or members of the SoHo Broadway community?
In celebration of our move back to SoHo, we’d like to offer the SoHo Broadway community 10% off in-store purchases* through Aug. 31, 2021. Just mention “SoHo Broadway community” and the discount.
*Cannot be combined with other discounts. Excludes shipping. Only valid at our 452 Broadway location.
