Renys, the longtime family-owned Maine department store chain, will open its 18th location on April 4 in Bangor.
The chain announced its expansion in November. Since then, it has hired about 50 employees and four managers to work at the Bangor store, some of whom began training in late February, co-owner Adam Reny said Tuesday.
Renys will open in Bangor six months before its 75-year anniversary in October. Reny is among the third-generation family members who own and operate the chain. The April 4 opening date also comes a few days before Maine’s first total solar eclipse since 1963, which is expected to draw an influx of visitors to towns in central and northern parts of the state.
While Bangor is not in the path of totality, where the moon is directly in front of the sun and casts a shadow on the Earth, it is a major city with hotels, shopping and other resources to accommodate the tens of thousands of visitors the region could see in April.
“We’re hopeful that we’ll have a strong business just being in Bangor and the population density here,” Reny said. “Also business from people in northern Maine who come down to Bangor. Any event that adds to that will benefit us.”
Renys will be at 46 Springer Drive in Bangor, formerly home to Christmas Tree Shops, which closed last August. The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The chain has searched for a space like this 30,000-square-foot one for about a decade, Reny said. The most recent Renys opened in Windham in 2016.
It is typical for the chain to open in April when much of its spring merchandise, which is ordered a year in advance, arrives, he said.
In recent months, the chain has built dressing rooms, painted the walls and installed carpet in portions of the store. The landlord and previous tenant took good care of the store, so renovations were minimal and mostly cosmetic, Reny said.
The store still needs to install signs, continue merchandising and train employees before opening day.
“Just like everyone in Bangor is excited for us to open, the Renys team is also very excited,” Reny said.
Robert H. Reny opened the first Renys in Damariscotta in 1949. The store carries a discounted selection of name brand clothing, footwear, toys, outdoor equipment and pantry and kitchen items. It has stores in Bath, Belfast, Bridgton, Camden, two locations in Damariscotta, Dexter, Ellsworth, Farmington, Gardiner, Madison, Pittsfield, Portland, Saco, Topsham, Wells and Windham.
