Renys Department Store

Reny’s is like LL Bean without the pretense. Regular people can actually afford to shop here and there’s this certain kitsch factor probably because a lot of their goods from mustards to ordnaments is Maine-​centric. The hiking and camping gear is reasonably priced and this would definitely be my «go to» outdoors store if I was from the area. I ended up snagging a few hiking socks and this ridiculous moose ornament in yellow waders holding a lobster. Yeah…

I have a love-​hate relationship with Renys.
I hate it when I need something, I love it when I don’t.
Do not go in here with a list, because they won’t have anything on it. For example, I wanted a box cake mix. They do not have this, but they did have sprouted ezekiel bread mix, and cinnamon coffee cake mix. Its just completely random.
Other random things I have bought here: an $ 11 polyester sleeping bag, plain-​brown wrapping paper, a rug with a moose on it, but that time I needed tampons? Forget it.
If you just feel like browsing and picking up something you had no idea you needed, Renys is the place for you. If you have something in mind though, Renys will only piss you off because they will have everything else but…

Whatever you need, there’s a good chance you can find it at Reny’s. They have a little bit of everything: clothing for everyone, footwear, kitchen wares and small appliances, flashlights and basic hardware items, board games, toys for kids and pets, cleaning and storage products, linens and throw rugs, lamps and picture frames, wrapping paper, arts and crafts supplies, Maine sweatshirts and souvenirs, seasonal things like space heaters in the winter and ice chests in the summer. They also have a grocery section with lots of tea, seasonings, condiments and Bob’s Red Mill products.
Anytime I need anything, I go to Reny’s first. They have friendly, helpful staff and low prices.
My greatest clothing find was a Boden dress last summer — I think I paid $ 15 for it. I’ve also gotten some cute scarves there. They have a lot of closeouts from Gap, Old Navy, Target and American Eagle. I’ve also seen some clothes from Lands End, Eddie Bauer, Ann Taylor and Banana Republic. They always have a selection of Carhartt, Woolrich and Columbia brand clothing. And they have discounted Smartwool socks!
When I have guests from out of town I usually bring them to Reny’s and they always love poking around and finding great deals.

I would be hesitant to classify Reny’s as a department store; this Maine institution categorically falls somewhere between Marden’s salvage and C-​rate department stores like Ames (out of business), Zayre (out of business), and K-​Mart (still in business?). Back in the day, this store could be — and still is — found in small towns throughout Maine, filling that ‘I accidentally wandered in off the street so I might as well shop’ niche. No matter how big or small the store, you could always count on the franchise to somehow fit twice as much random merchandise in it as the store should realistically (and legally) hold. Furniture, toys, polo shirts, shoes, COUNTLESS covered bridge-​themed jigsaw puzzles — you name it. It could be found at Reny’s.
These days I feel like Reny’s has gone Hollywood on us. You can now actually recognize a few of the brands that they carry, and almost all of their stores are up to current building and fire code regulations. What’s up with that? Shopping isn’t nearly as fun if there’s not an element of danger from a stack of lawn chairs falling on you, or getting trapped in the sketchy basement level after an avalanche of bird feeders blocks your egress.
That said, it’s still worthwhile to stop in the Portland location. Here are a few observations:
— Does Carhartt own stock in Reny’s? It seems like half their clothing is made out of the durable jean material.
— Their pet section seems to be dominated by bird-​related supplies. If you like to keep your migrating birds fed, then this place is paradise for you.
— Good selection of pots, pans, and utensils.
— Many of their canned and boxed food items look like they fell of the back of a truck. Lots of dings and dents. Last time I was there, they had a manager’s special on boxes of Fiddle Faddle that looked like they had (barely) survived a tornado.
— My favorite part of this store is the random camping odds and ends on the right wall as you’re walking towards the registers. Who knew there were so many different ways to cook grilled cheeses over a campfire?
Unfortunately I feel like the presence of Marden’s just a few miles away dampens the novelty and allure of Reny’s, but it’s definitely worth stopping in if you’re walking to or from something via Congress Street.

Renys on Congress is totally an adventure.
I have been here a handful of times (despite my lousy 1 check-​in claims) and it can be either hit or miss. There were just so many hits this week that it needed to be reviewed.
There’s a large section in the back of the store for children’s toys — everything from Lego sets, puzzles, and arts and crafts to baby toys and grocery sets. What surprised me most, though, was the rather large selection of «green» toys from brands like Melissa & Doug. I never would have expected to find such a variety here!
And, if you’re still on the hunt for studs for your winter boots, head over here before they are gone! They still had a few hanging at the front of the store for only $ 16.
This is one of those places that you expect to find nothing but occasionaly get pleasantly surprised. I don’t know why I walked in, but I left with two shirts (The Gap and Land’s End) and a pep in my step.

I have purchased a huge variety of items from Reny’s, including kitchen appliances, clothing and cleaning supplies.
This is our go to place to purchase warm outerwear for our 5 month old. We purchased a snow outfit for half the price of a northface outfit. We also bought warm baby snow shoes. The variety is too notch and prices can’t be beat!

Great place to find good deals on clothes, food, household items, etc. however their prices have definitely gone up over the past few years and their deals aren’t as impressive as they once were!

For a tactical shopper not looking to spend lots of time wandering endless stores, this Renys was a great find. I’d needed to get my godchildren a few small gifts, and this store seemed to have enough variety that anyone could get in & out with what they needed in a hurry.
Customer service was great, and the first person I went up to cheerfully led me back to the children’s section and even recommended colouring books that a 2-​year old might enjoy. On the way out, I saw the perfect boogie board that a 5-​year old could crash through the gentle surf of Portland on, and there we go. Mission accomplished.
Parking’s not easy, with the only spots being on the street, so bring a friend and park where you’re not supposed to. You’ll be in & out quickly.

It’s like a smörgåsbord of stuff, really. Footwear, clothing, home goods, souvenirs… a good thing. We stopped here as we were docked in Portland for the day and needed a sweater, as it was kinda chillier than we expected. I found one which looked good, felt good, and a great price.

My soon to be sister-in-law’s mother joined us for a bridesmaid dress search at Andrea’s yesterday and she kept dropping hints that she wanted to go to Reny’s which is pretty close to Andrea’s.
I had never been to Reny’s so I had no idea why but when I walked in I realized this was a bargain shoppers paradise. While the other ladies browsed the rest of the store I was fixated on the office supplies, my jaw dropping in awe over the $ 1.99 huge desk calendar that I wanted to buy from Staples but didn’t want to pay almost ten bucks for. They looked exactly the same. My work also used to buy me fancy planners but that is no longer the case I don’t work there anymore, so instead of dropping a ton of money at the typical office supply store I found a lovely planner for $ 6. I also purchased a nice notebook for half of what it would have cost somewhere else. I spent a total of $ 10 on three great items.
The holiday stuff was also cheap and of good quality. I didn’t need any gift bags or wrapping paper but after seeing the prices I will come here for them in the future if I get the chance. The store offers a lot more than I what covered here (I have a thing for office supplies) including clothing (Red Sox fleece pajama pants and Carhartt stuff come to mind), candy and … all sorts of stuff.

I was surprised to find Renys in the middle of downtown Portland. It seemed out of place with the vinyl record stores and quirky independent book stores. It is a great place for a tourist to pick up some Maine memorabilia. Lots of folksy things like bird houses, braided rugs, and I Love Maine shirts. I ended up buying some postcards. Prices were a little more than I’d pay as a tourist if I needed to grab gifts for family. The bathrooms were locked with a sign to ask an associate to open it, but there were none in the general area to help. In fact, I saw several chatting and standing around towards the front and it took a few minutes to get one to come over and ring up my meager postcard purchase. Interesting place, but lacks in customer service and doesn’t sell anything you can’t find elsewhere for cheaper.

I grew up in Maine and this isn’t what I call a Maine adventure.
I agree with the other Unilocalers (including my own husband) that I’m sorry to hear about that horrible profiling experience she had. The sad truth is that Maine is about 97% white. I grew up in Portland and most people (MOST) are not that way.
The deals at Reny’s are not worth writing home about in my opinion. I’d suggest visiting a store that sells local made goods. I also hope Sue (?) wasn’t a tourist. I’d encourage her to go other places and she’d see that most Mainers are much more friendly, inviting, and pleasant to deal with.

Sorry to hear about Sue’s experience as well. We didn’t even see security guards when we were there today. Our shopping experience was okay, though we didn’t find a whole lot of things we wanted to get. A mish-​mash of standard discount store fare, knick knacks, assorted foodstuffs, toys, clothes, and heavy cold weather clothing (read: that’s the «Maine adventure» part).
Got a couple cans of chowder, some post-​Christmas discount holiday theme baking stuff, snacks, and comic books. That I was very excited about — they’ve got those sealed grab bags of comic books in the back by the toy section, the ones where you can see the two on the ends of your short stack but not the ones hidden inside. Usually you find three to a pack, these were five, and for two bucks. Good deal, man.

i’m really sorry to hear about the other reviewer’s negative experience with security at Reny’s. i have not gone through anything similar here, so Reny’s gets a solid rating from me.
Reny’s calls itself a Maine adventure, and that’s pretty accurate. you never know what you’ll find here, but there are almost always bargains available. and bargain hunters be on the lookout! sometimes the same item is priced differently at the front of the store than at the back (i’m thinking of some fancy chocolates that were 2.99 in one spot and 3.99 in another), so take a good look around before ringing out!

Other locations may be okay, but beware visiting THIS store if your skin is not lily white! My family and I spent an hour in the store, followed by security guards (which we thought was strange, but dismissed as slightly paranoid). After purchasing several items, we were escorted out of the store by armed police, and told that the manager did not want us to return to the store because he «thought we may have been planning to shoplift»!! The manager would not even grant us the courtesy of explaining why he would think such a heinous and outrageous thing. And, if he did, why wait until after we made our purchase to make his accusation??! Needless to say, we immediately returned our purchased items — and had to argue with the cashier to give us a return receipt! Most traumatic and unpleasant shopping experience my family and I have ever had. Still hoping for a public apology or, at least, an explanation from this sad excuse for a manager.
So not okay.