A BELOVED department store is set to leave a major US city for good at the end of the year.
Shoppers have expressed their sadness at the reveal, claiming that it will do damage to the area that “needs help”.
It has been revealed that Renys Department Store is set to close a location in Portland, Maine.
There is no set date yet, but it is expected to shut its doors sometime by the end of the year.
The store in question can be found on Congress Street in the city, which has been operating since 2011.
Renys does not have any immediate plans to open another location in its place.
However, it is understood that workers will be given the chance to relocate to another store.
Renys currently has 19 locations in Maine.
Holly Margaritis, the company’s human resources coordinator, said: “Our lease is up next April, and we won’t be renewing in the Portland location.
“We just spoke with the staff at the store yesterday.”
There has not been a reason given as to why the Renys is closing, and there was no hint from Margaritis if a reason will ever be revealed.
Part of the reason for this is to respect staff, as the news is still fresh for them.
She continued: “Renys is fine.
“At this point in time, we don’t really want to make a statement in regards to that.
“It’s fairly new to all our staff, so we want to respect their feelings and the situation that they’re in.”
CONCERN FOR THE AREA
This news has brought with it renewed concern for the Portland area.
US braces for ‘45,000 store closures’
Some 45,000 bricks-and-mortar stores could close in the next five years, experts have warned.
Several major retailers have announced store closures or gone out of business altogether in recent years.
In 2023, chains such as Foot Locker announced plans to close up to 400 outlets by 2026.
While, other well-known retailers like Tuesday Morning and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams filed for bankruptcy in 2023.
Bed Bath & Beyond has closed all of its brick-and-mortar stores and is now an online-only retailer.
The most affected retailers have been clothing, consumer electronics, sporting goods, hobby, book, music, and home furnishing stores since the start of 2019.
UBS has predicted the total number of retail stores will drop by 45k from 958k to 913k.
Despite that, the report says that certain stores should thrive while others decline.
It said retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Target, could be among the winners.
Business owners along Congress Street have voiced worry about the rise in drug use, loitering, and general disturbances.
Congress Street has been suffering with high vacancy rates and an overall fall off in foot traffic.
On top of this, Portland has seen a growing number of homeless people, a trend which has been seen in Maine as a state.
It is thought one of the reasons Renys is leaving Congress Street is due to the safety concerns, and there have been a number of incidents in recent years.
Online, shoppers have also expressed their fears that the area is struggling, and that this Renys departure will only make matters worse.
One person wrote: “This is really a shame.
“If the reports cited by The Burn are true, it is only further indication that businesses are indeed suffering from bad behavior along Congress Street, downtown.”
And another wrote: “This is a serious bummer.
“When I first moved to Portland 40+ years ago, Congress Street was lined with empty storefronts.
“Then it came to thrive, and be busy and attractive, and now it’s going downhill again.
“I live in Portland and walk everywhere, but I admit I tend to avoid Congress Street.”
It has been revealed that Renys Department Store is set to close a location in Portland, Maine[/caption]
