Dress Shoppe II will close in early January

Photos from 2019 by Stacie Joy 

Updated: The shop's last day is Jan. 31.

Dress Shoppe II, the Indian boutique at 83 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is closing at the start of 2022, ending a 20-plus year run in the East Village. (The business dates to 1978, first starting on Broadway, per this 2016 feature in The New York Times.)

Over the weekend, NBC News checked in with a feature on Dress Shoppe II, where Saroj Goyal has been doing her best to keep the shop going since her husband of 50 years, Purushottam Goyal, died in September 2019. 

The story confirmed the closure. (There have been signs up in the store as well. On a recent trip, Goyal told us of her plans to close in January. There was also talk that she'd relocate to a smaller location.)

You can read the NBC piece here.

Here's an excerpt focusing on clearing out the space...

Goyal is worried. The sheer number of things that need to be moved out is dizzying. Her husband was a collector, and his life's passions are housed in the shop's back storage area, reminiscent of the Room of Hidden Things from "Harry Potter."

But for now, it's business as usual. The shop is still a colorful, warm haven for regulars and the city strollers who happen to stumble inside. With a small team of employees, she's keeping the spirit alive while she can.

In July, Brandon Stanton, the creator of the Humans of New York storyteller series, featured Saroj on his @HumansofNY Instagram account. He also got involved in helping her business, launching a crowdfunding campaign in the process.

Amplified by Nicolas Heller, aka @NewYorkNic, the campaign raised more than $412,000 in the first 17 hours.

In the previous post, you can read more about this, including the financial arrangements with the landlord, the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II.

You can find the Dress Shoppe II Etsy account here. The storefront is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily, with 1-6 p.m. hours on Sunday.