Debbie with her grandmother, Mrs. G
My grandmother was a pioneer when she decided to move Mrs. G in 1972 for the 3rd time since 1935 to Route 1 in Lawrenceville realizing the potential for high traffic with the opening of the Quakerbridge Mall.
The first 3 locations of Mrs. G
Around 2008 it was time to upgrade the outside facade. I had just completed renovations of the inside of Mrs. G’s in early 2007. After a year of consulting with many experts, it became clear that the store needed to be relocated on the site. Yes, that was a disappointment, but it had to be done. The store sat too close to the highway and was in such disrepair and expensive to maintain. I was ready for a new store! The development plans were absolutely beautiful, and it would include the return of the jughandle and an extention to Litho Road. All of Lawrence Twp. and Mercer County should be proud and excited for this long time coming improvement.
Plans for the current Mrs. G location
Shortly after plans started to come together, reality started to set in that I was looking at an estimated 2-year temporary location. I considered moving into our warehouse, but there were too many obstacles. Over the course of 3 years, due to delays with approvals on the corner, I visited potential temporary available sites from time to time. Nothing was perfect. I would need to make a huge investment for a short term to get the retail spaces up to par. It was becoming clear to me that I should just move permanently. We are not talking moving a jewelry store. Logistically, it was just too expensive to move off the property for 2 years and then move back.
Just as I was ready to make it public to brokers that I would consider a permanent move, a proposal from Worldwide Wholesale Floor Coverings was presented to me. The building was originally built to manufacture the Prince Tennis Rackets which includes over 100,000 sf of space. Parts of the WW warehouse space is under utilized, so the owners were interested in renovating their front warehouse to create a 12,000sf retail showroom. Sounded interesting! However, what closed the deal for me was that they had enough available space to include a 13,000sf Mrs. G’s warehouse. We have been operating out of our warehouse 3 miles away since 1965 and it has its challenges. To have our warehouse attached to our retail space would be a blessing. Not only could we manage the warehouse better, but we can have warehouse sales too! Consumers who love a deal love Warehouse Sales.
They also have over 100 parking spaces so when I host an event with over 100 people attending I have plenty of parking. There is a large grassy area next to the showroom for a potential outdoor cooking entertainment center. And lastly, our businesses compliment each other for a one stop shopping experience. This is a perfect move for Mrs. G’s.
I can’t say the developers of the site weren’t disappointed that Mrs. G’s would not return to the site, but Bill Hotz, one of the principles, thought moving next to Worldwide was the perfect place for our new location. It would be a one-stop shop for anyone renovating their kitchen, plus a greater space for us to host the community events that are a vital part of Mrs. G’s.
The proposed rendering of the new Mrs. G’s location
Mrs. G’s move was front page news in the Trenton Times on Sunday Feb 9th, 2014. Now everyone knows the inside story. This was our 4th move in 79 years. Each move was strategic and brilliant. We have now been in our new location at 2720 US 1 Business next to World Wide Whole Sale Floor Coverings for 2 months and are loving it. We are currently working out of our temporary showroom which will later become our warehouse once the final showroom is complete in the fall. In the meantime, our warehouse sale will continue throughout the summer with floor samples and clearance items priced to sell fast. You can see photos of our temporary showroom as well as renderings of what the final showroom will look like in the fall on the Mrs. G’s Showroom page. Enjoy the Warehouse Sale!
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