Beyond Microwaves: Duddy’s Electronics’ Four Decades of Service to the Boro Park Community and Beyond

By: Yehuda Alter

We stand in a time of the year that is synonymous with Pesach preparations—the busiest season of the year for housewares, electronics, and appliance retailers. But R’ Itche Fuhrer takes a moment out of an extremely busy day of running this establishment that has stood stalwartly as one of the oldest establishments on Fourteenth Avenue to speak with Boropark24.

Duddy’s has been a legend in the Boro Park community—always finding a way to retail just the right amount of merchandise, at affordable prices to suit every consumer... and has become a traditional –must stop for Meshulachim, visitors, and tourists from Eretz Yisroel. 

But when Pesach comes, Duddy’s becomes a destination: for young couples making Pesach on their own for the first time, for large families who must always switch out those small and large appliances that have ceased serving the family’s needs for decades of Pesach’s... and for so many seeking to acquire new kitchen and home gadgets that will make their Pesach preparations easier... and more fun.

“Our Pesach season is really Chanukah time,” Fuhrer quips. “In the dead of winter, we need to anticipate the merchandise that people will be interested in buying come spring,” he explains.

Another reason why this hallmark establishment becomes so busy this time of year is their specializing in vacuum cleaners. “While people can try and postpone their repairs, or buying new machines, during the year—with Pesach there is no choice, so we are inundated with this as well.”

Then there is the major appliance part of the business. “With Covid interrupting the supply chain, it has become little more difficult to always have the appliances that people want in stock...and with Pesach here, and people needing new ovens, stoves, convection ovens, and other major and minor appliances, we are definitely overwhelmed. But we always do our best to get our customers what they need,” he says.       

Customers observe how Duddy’s has always been able to strike the balance between affordable and durable appliances, and Fuhrer agrees that this is a delicate, but important, middle-ground: “People want good deals... and there is an impossible amount of junk coming out of China which is cheap, but will not last. Our customers know that if a product is on our shelves, they can have confidence that they are getting a good deal, which will continue to serve them for a long time.”

About those shelves... it is a wonder to behold how Duddy’s is able to stock such a variety of housewares and electronics in a relatively-small space on prime Fourteenth Avenue.

Says R’ Itche: “Every inch of our store is maximized, so we can offer our customers any possible electronics they would wish for, at prices they will be happy with.