Van Cott Jewelers to leave Oakdale Mall

Van Cott Jewelers is closing the doors of its Oakdale Mall location. Broome County’s oldest independent fine jeweler – the first jeweler to locate in Oakdale Mall when it opened in 1975 – will not renew its lease. Before the store officially closes, Van Cott Jewelers will hold a brief multi-million dollar Oakdale Mall Store Closing Sale beginning Thursday, Jan. 29, 2019. Sale merchandise is only available at the Oakdale Mall store in Johnson City.

“The decision to close our Oakdale Mall location was literally heart-wrenching,” said William (Bill) Levine, the 3rd generation steward of the 105-year-old family-owned firm. 

He added, “When my father decided to open a Van Cott branch store there in 1975, locating in a shopping mall was considered bold and risky for a fine jeweler. Fortunately, his gamble paid off and we’ve had 44 very successful years at Oakdale, which made our decision that much more difficult. Unfortunately, closing was really our only choice as the mall’s current travails don’t bode well for its future.”

To avoid an overstock situation at its flagship store in Town Square Mall after the Oakdale Mall store closes, Van Cott Jewelers is offering their entire Oakdale inventory of fine diamonds, jewelry – including original designs from Birdie Levine’s eponymous collections – and timepieces for immediate sale at prices up to 60 percent off the original retails. 

“As our customers and friends are aware, we never put our merchandise on sale,” commented Birdie Levine, Van Cott’s co-owner and in-house designer. “There’s simply no way we can absorb Oakdale’s inventory in Town Square, it’s just too big. So we’re making an exception to offer the entire collection for sale with huge discounts; creating a unique opportunity to purchase special gifts for your loved ones, and yourself, at extremely discounted prices that otherwise would not be possible.”

Van Cott Jewelers traces its heritage to 1914, when Kenneth Van Cott opened the doors to its first location on Court Street in Binghamton’s downtown business district. A few years later Rubine Levine, an immigrant from Russia, began going door-to-door on Endicott’s north side selling wedding rings, religious jewelry and eyeglasses to the shoe factory workers. 

In 1919, with a growing clientele fueled by his reputation for stellar customer service, Rubine created Ruby Jewelers. His son, Herbert, purchased Van Cott Jewelers in 1969, merging the two renowned firms. Today the full-service, fine jeweler is owned and operated by Bill and Birdie Levine, the third-generation of the Levine family. The Van Cott Jewelers flagship in Vestal features a Rolex boutique and a Forevermark “store in store.”