Renys starts offering curbside delivery after closing stores several weeks ago

Just three weeks after Renys closed all of its 14 stores because of the coronavirus outbreak, the iconic Maine retailer said it will offer curbside pickup for a limited number of purchases.

The news comes a day after U.S. retail sales fell 8.7 percent in March, the worst decline in history, according to Census Bureau data that goes back to 1992. The coronavirus has caused thousands of stores to close and shoppers to stay home.

Americans aren’t buying much except food now, which is devastating huge swaths of the retail industry.

Another iconic Maine brand, L.L. Bean, closed all of its U.S. retail stores but still kept online orders open.

Renys had planned to reopen on April 4 and L.L. Bean on March 29, but the coronavirus escalated throughout the United States. Gov. Janet Mills declared a civilian state of emergency in Maine on March 15 for one month, and recently extended it for another month until May 15.

Renys had kept a limited number of staff at its office and warehouse in Newcastle since it closed the stores in March. All Renys stores will offer phone orders and curbside pickup except Bath, which has contractors in the store.

Renys’ website has numbers for each store that customers can call and order from 9 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday. Orders are limited to 20 items and credit card payments.