Mel Stock Retires as Barney Stock Shops at 499 Broadway Closes This Fall
After more than 100 years of serving the Bayonne community, Barney Stock Hosiery Shops at 499 Broadway will close its doors permanently early this fall, as owner Mel Stock retires following almost 50 years at the helm of his family’s beloved store
Founded in 1922 by Barney Stock, Barney Stock Hosiery Shops became one of Bayonne’s most enduring small businesses — a fixture on Broadway that outlasted decades of change, chain retail, and economic upheaval.
Mel Stock and Larry Stock, sons of the founder, both went to work in the business following their graduations from NYU. While Larry had to leave the store after a short period due to poor health, Mel has spent his life at Barney Stock Shops. He took over the business, spending almost seven decades behind the counter serving generations of Bayonne families with the kind of personal service that has become a rarity in modern retail.
Known for its wide selection of hosiery, bras, Spanx, sportswear, girdles, and mastectomy apparel, Barney Stock Shops was as much a community institution as it was a store. Customers recall mothers and grandmothers shopping there for decades, with longtime reviews speaking to Mel’s personal attention — expert fittings, affordable prices, and a warmth that made every visit feel like family.
“It has been such a pleasure to serve the Bayonne community for all of these years. The relationships we have had with our staff and generations of our customers are what I am most proud of and will treasure for a long time.“ – Mel Stock The closing of Barney Stock Shops marks the end of an era for Broadway, Bayonne’s historic main street and the commercial heart of a city that Barney Stock himself helped define when he opened his doors nearby more than a century ago.
Barney came over from Poland and took night classes to learn English while also working at his uncle’s ladies store in Bayonne before opening his own shop on Avenue C. Later, in a partnership forged with a handshake, Barney and Phil Glass together moved to the store to 499 Broadway and expanded the business to a total of 6 stores across Bayonne, Jersey City, and Union City before Phil retired in the 1980s and Barney followed suit in 1987.
Mel Stock’s retirement brings down the curtain on a remarkable story of family, community, and commitment — a business built by one generation and carried faithfully into the next, for over 100 years serving the Bayonne community. About Barney Stock Shops: Barney Stock Hosiery Shops was founded in 1922 by Barney Stock in Bayonne, NJ. For over a century the store served the women of Bayonne and the surrounding Hudson County community with hosiery, bras, sportswear, mastectomy apparel, and expert personal fittings. Melvin Stock, son of the founder, operated the store for almost 50 years before his planned retirement in October 2026.
