Renys Department Store will close its location on Congress Street in Portland within the next year.
“Our lease is up next April, and we won’t be renewing in the Portland location,” Holly Margaritis, Renys human resources coordinator, told the Portland Press Herald Wednesday.
The company has not yet set a date for closure.
A Renys spokesperson told Maine blog The Burn, which first reported the news, that the decision to close was precipitated by “safety concerns,” a slow in business and the price of leasing the building at 540 Congress St.
The Portland store has been open since 2011, according to the company’s website. It’s one of 19 Renys locations around the state, including its flagship store in Damariscotta.
The Maine staple, which describes itself as a place where customers can “find everything,” has expanded its footprint around the state in recent years, making Wednesday’s announcement a surprise.
Renys opened a location in Waterville in April and one on Springer Street in Bangor in April 2024, its first expansion since 2016.