PORTLAND, Maine — Bull Moose Music’s store in the Old Port will close at the end of November.
“Our lease is up and there is very little foot traffic downtown,” a tweet from the company read Tuesday night.
The retailer is a cultural institution in Maine and New Hampshire, selling records, CDs, books, movies, toys and games. Its 8 other Maine locations in Maine and 3 New Hampshire stores will remain open.
Several Old Port retail stores and restaurants have been forced for reasons related to the coronavirus pandemic. Those in the city’s performing arts industry have been fundraising to support live music venues.
Founded in Brunswick by Brett Wickard in 1989, Bull Moose’s Portland location at 151 Middle Street was considered to be its flagship location. The store, set below street level, was a hub for those in and surrounding the southern Maine music scene and typically stayed open until 11 p.m. and frequently hosted live performances from local and touring artists.
The record store shared a lobby with Videoport, an independent video and DVD rental store, before it closed in 2015.
“Downtown Portland will rebound and when it does we will look for a new location in Portland. Until then, the Mill Creek and Scarborough stores are only a few miles away,” the company’s social media account said.
A spokesperson for the store did not immediately return a request for comment.
Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the founder of the company.