Forever Young, AKA, Jamaican Me Crazy, Leaving Town

Relocation signs on two mainstays in the Haddonfield Business District have many customers wondering why.

HerSport, a female athlete's "go to" source for apparel, field hockey, lacrosse and soccer gear is moving from its Kings Highway location on Jan. 1.

"We plan to open on Jan. 5 at our new location in Cherry Hill," owner Deb Gallagher said. "The ceilings are three feet higher and we will have a wider storefront making the store more interactive for field hockey and lacrosse players selecting equipment."

HerSport is a destination store for school teams around South Jersey.

"I looked for a space to accommodate our needs in Haddonfield, but nothing worked," Gallagher said Friday. "The current location does not have convenient parking for teams picking up orders, where the new location has parking in front of the store."

Forever Young Emporium, which is still known to many by its former name Jamaican Me Crazy, is planning to close its doors on Jan. 14. Owners Gary and Nina Reses said, "We have a terrific opportunity in a new development on the campus of Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ." The campus project, Rowan Boulevard, includes new dormitories, a hotel, parking and new retail space.

Gary and Nina spoke with the business recruiter for the Rowan project and said "they were looking for unique, independent businesses that fit the college lifestyle." Any Forever Young Emporium shopper can attest that the product line fits that lifestyle. 

When asked about keeping the Haddonfield store open while they expand, Gary said, "Personally, it is impossible to keep the Haddonfield store open from a management perspective. With one store, we'll still be able to have a life."

Another downtown business, the clothing boutique Georgie Girl, is closing in June 2013. Although they had a really good holiday season, Cindy Harris, owner of Georgie Girl said, "After nine years in Haddonfield, we are closing in June—we are moving on to greener pastures, out of New Jersey."

New stores on the way

Haddonfield's retail coordinator Remi Fortunato has been hard at work bringing new stores and restaurants to the business district. Saxby's, a new coffee shop and restaurant, is in the process of remodeling the space at Kings Highway and Chestnut Street. Fortunato expects Saxby's to open sometime in January.

The HerSport location will not be empty for long. The space was leased to an upscale boutique/consignment shop called "Second Time Around."