Century 21, New York bargain hunters’ favorite spot for retail therapy, returns on Tuesday and already shoppers have their noses pressed against the glass.

The flagship store on 22 Cortlandt St. in the shadow of the World Trade Center downtown will officially reopen at noon with four floors of designer shoes, clothes, perfumes and accessories.

Its sunglasses selection has been restocked and workers could be seen inside on Monday busily preparing for the big day.

French tourists Melissa and Vincent Salucci showed up a day early, hoping to beat the crowd.

“I want to be here because Century 21 is the most famous store in New York,” said Melissa Salucci, 30.

“The shoes, the bags, the prices,” she added, rattling off the reasons she’s coming.

The department store filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and closed that year due to the surge in e-commerce and the pandemic shutdown.

“Their business has been heavily dependent on in-store traffic, which has declined in recent years as a result of broad market factors as well as decreased tourism to downtown Manhattan, the site of the debtors’ flagship store,” CFO Norm Veit wrote in the bankruptcy filing.

The Gindi family sold off 13 other stores in New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania in bankruptcy and sold the brand to the real estate arm of the family, ASB Equities.

The return of a department store, which closed in 2020, seems anachronistic, especially in the face of e-commerce that surged nearly 50% during the first year of the pandemic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But brick-and-mortar retail made a comeback the following year, according to the Department of Commerce, and more online retailers are turning to physical shops to promote their brands.

Century 21 aims to add a user experience to draw shoppers away from just clicking their purchases on Amazon.

The press release for Tuesday’s grand reopening touts “fun activities, fantastic prices and a prize wheel where shoppers can win Yankees tickets, and other “mind-blowing giveaways.”

The other thing keeping the department store alive is sentimentality. The Gindi family, which own the property, has a soft spot in their collective heart for the outlet.

“Our dad built this business 60 years ago. We feel obligated to keep the legacy going,” co-CEO IG Gindi told Women’s Wear Daily last year.

The store shut down after 9/11 when its merchandise was covered with the ash from the twin towers. Its growth was seen as a symbol of the rebirth of downtown and the rest of New York City after the terror attacks.

Possibly not returning, though, are the 350 unionized retail workers who were employed there before the store closed.

“After hearing Century 21 would be making a comeback in the New York City location, UFCW Local 888 demanded that former Century 21 bargaining unit members be offered job opportunities and a card check recognition to make sure former and new workers have union protection,” the United Food and Commercial Workers Union said in a statement.

It’s unclear if they met with the store owners.

Shakeil Currency, a construction worker from Brooklyn, stopped by the store on Monday to take a look at what was going on inside, viewing the return of their low prices as the most important thing.

“They’re getting ready,” he said, peering into the sunglasses section. “I’m going to see if it’s as good as it was before. I love this store. I love the deals, the prices, they have good stuff, too.”