After Christmas Tree Shops filed for bankruptcy in May, the company announced last week that it is liquidating all 82 of its stores, a move that will leave a Bangor shopping center nearly empty.
The closure of the Bangor store leaves the complex at 46 Springer Drive, just off Hogan Road near the Bangor Mall, mostly empty except for Harbor Freight Tools and a TD BankNorth location. The development previously housed businesses including local candy company Specialty Sweets, which closed in 2019, and a Shaw’s Supermarket, which closed in 2009. It is owned by Rick Harnum of Bangor-based Harnum Holdings.
It is one of several shopping developments along Hogan Road that are partially or mostly empty, including those at 688 Hogan Road and 43 Bangor Mall Boulevard, as well as the Bangor Mall itself, which has seen a dramatic exit in retailers over the past decade. Occupancy along Stillwater Avenue, however, has remained steady in recent years.
Christmas Tree Shops is a discount home goods chain, selling Christmas decor year-round, as well as other holiday decor, home goods, kitchenware, food items and personal care products. The Massachusetts-based retailer also has Maine stores in Augusta and Scarborough.
It is the latest wave of retail bankruptcies across the country, with Bed Bath & Beyond, which owned Christmas Tree Shops until 2021, announcing the closure of all its stores earlier this year. Bed Bath & Beyond stores in Bangor, Augusta and South Portland are also now closed.
