Renys is more than “A Maine Adventure.” Now entering the third generation of family ownership, their eclectic stores have become a cultural touchstone for the state, uniting different regions with their mix of merchandise including clothing, shoes, toys, Maine-themed gifts and local food, housewares, and everyday staples like cleaning products or index cards.

On Thursday, April 10, Renys opened their 19^th store in Waterville, Maine. It follows the 2024 opening of a Bangor location, making this the second new brick-and-mortar for the company in as many years.

Reflecting on the recent growth in an interview earlier this month, President John Reny took the company’s success in stride. “Someone asked me the other day if we were expanding too quickly,” he explained. “And I said, ‘Look, we’ve been in business 75 years. We’re opening our 19^th store. That’s not fast. That’s pretty conservative.’”

Can you tell they are a Maine business? He went on. “But you can’t be stagnant. My dad always said that. ‘You’ve got to keep expanding.’ And he did, opening a lot of stores in the early days.”

Before the Waterville grand opening, Reny took time away from a vacation to explain how his family’s business strategies, and Maine people, have kept Renys thriving at a respectable level.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Molly Adams: John, what is your earliest memory of being in the store?

John Reny: I started at Renys when I was five years old. I don’t remember much of what I did, probably swept the floor or something like that. My brother Bob started a bit later, when he was seven. We always worked in the stores on vacations and holidays, especially around Christmas time. We were always aware of what was going on because my dad was totally immersed in the whole thing, talking at dinner and everything.

Main Street, Damariscotta, around the time R.H. Reny opened his first store in 1949. Faustine Reny

Adams: What would you say is the formula that has made Renys flourish for this long?

Reny: We’re different. We spend more money on staff. Big chains cut payroll because it’s their biggest expense. But cutting staff means cutting attention to customers, and it hurts morale.

We’re a family business. We don’t have a million rules with penalties for everything. We all take care of each other. We don’t want to be the biggest—we want to be the best. Another thing is that our stores aren’t cookie-cutter. Shopping is entertainment as well as necessity. People like to go shopping. Everyday there’s something new. Our stores are also clean and well-organized. We believe customers deserve a good experience, even when they’re getting great deals. A good brick-and-mortar store, whether on Main Street or a strip mall, will always be successful if it’s done right, if it’s fun and interesting. And it seems to be working. Hopefully, it will work in Waterville, too.

Adams: You have a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Maine. How do you think your degree has helped you as a business owner through the years?

Reny: I guess studying people—what they do, how they do it and why they do it. It’s an inexact science, but I like it. When I’m in Newcastle, I go down to our stores a couple of times a day. I usually write myself a few notes, things like, “Why don’t we have this?” or “Why do we have so much of that?” or “I think the price is wrong on this.” You get so much more from being hands-on. So, our buyers are on site a lot. You can’t just sit behind a desk and look at a screen to know what’s happening. They talk to customers, see what they’re buying, figure out trends.

Adams: At this point in your career, John, do you have days off, or is it still an everyday thing for you?

Reny: I try to leave early. I get in around 7 a.m. and like to leave around 3 p.m. But I still enjoy what I do. We have great people who understand the business, great vendors who love working with us because we treat them right and pay our bills ahead of time. Now, my daughter, Faustine, and my nephew, Adam, are taking over the business. Faustine has a master’s in accounting, and she’s worked in the restaurant industry in Boston. She’s very good with people. Adam went to Berklee School of Music and focused on sound reinforcement and recording. He and Faustine get along really well. They both want the business to succeed and are willing to put in the work, because it’s not easy.

Adams: There are over 520 versions of the Renys jingle. For you, what are the most memorable performances?

Reny: Denny Breau, who’s a tremendous guitar player, has done it. Don Campbell and Mike Hurd. Also, the Portland Symphony Orchestra. They did it at Merrill Auditorium during their Christmas show.

Adams: Now tell us about the Renys Passport, which you launched for the 75^th anniversary last year. What a great idea.

Reny: People have always told us for years, “I’ve been to all your stores!” So, we finally got it together. People who visit all our stores get to come to our main office in Newcastle, meet me, take a tour of the warehouse and see where everything comes from. They get a little gift bag, couple of mugs, a picture with me and their photo goes up on the Passport Wall in the office.

Adams: How many people have completed it so far?

Reny: Last time I checked, I had a backlog waiting for me! I’ve talked to 30 or 40 people since it started. They’re all kinds of different people too, and they’ll talk about this store or that one, but I’ll tell you, the most amazing thing almost all of them have said to me: “Your employees were so excited about what we were doing.” And, you know, you got to think they must really love Renys because we’re not giving them much for the money, gas and time. I mean, I’ve been to all the stores—you can’t do it in half an hour.

Adams: Well, you say it doesn’t feel like much, but it’s something that people can’t buy. They have to earn it, and visiting every Renys is a serious accomplishment for a Mainer. The “buy local” philosophy is such a way of life here.

Reny: Right, it’s prevalent here. It really is. Even with 20-something Walmarts, people still get behind local businesses.

Adams: So, are you going to be at the Waterville opening?

Reny: Oh, yeah. We’ll be greeting people as they come in. It’s going to be fun. I haven’t seen the merchandise in the store yet, but I’ve seen the layout, and all the physical work is done. It’s going to be a beautiful store. And it’s in a good shopping center. Bull Moose is next to us. It’s a huge store, and they also do very well in a challenging industry because they know what they’re doing. And they’re nice folks too, real nice folks. So that’s always good.

Adams: And then I know you’re a musician. I wonder if The Round Pond Rangers are playing any gigs this summer.

Reny: We’ve got one in August for the Damariscotta River Association. And you probably know that Schooner Landing burned down. Scotty and Caleb are good friends of ours, and they just got the OK to rebuild the deck. They’re planning to have a food truck, open the bar and have live music like before this summer. It’s a great place to play. But we don’t want to play too many gigs. They’ve got to be like 4:00 to 7:00. No more 9:00 p.m. start times that end at 1:00 a.m. Nope. Not anymore. Got to be in bed by 8:00 or 9:00.

Adams: Yeah, exactly. Last call is at 8:00 p.m.

Reny: That’s right.

Adams: John, this was really nice to talk to you and congratulations!