Rebecca’s Gift Shop in downtown Bangor will close its doors for the final time on Saturday after nearly 40 years in business.
Rick and Rebecca Vigue, who have operated the store since opening it in November 1985, sold the Main Street building to Nick and Kortnie Mullins, owners of Community Real Estate Solutions LLC. It’s unclear what the property will become, but Rick Vigue said he trusts them with a space that has “endless potential” and a prime location in the heart of downtown Bangor.
Rick Vigue said it took a long time for the family to decide on a closing date after initially announcing their retirement in January because they didn’t want to give up the store, which sells antiques and Maine-made products, including food, candles, cards, jewelry and clothing.
“We kept saying, ‘Maybe we’ll go a few more months,’ and finally we just had to pick a date and stick with it,” Rick Vigue said. “It’s hard to give up something that you’ve loved for so long.”
Though the couple wish someone had bought the property to continue the store because they believe their customers would have supported new owners, Rick Vigue said he’s grateful to retire and close the business on his terms rather than watching the store go out of business.
The Vigues did receive inquiries from people interested in buying the store, but none could shoulder the financial commitment, Rick Vigue said. Community Real Estate Solutions LLC did not return requests for comment on their plans for the building on Wednesday.
With the business’ final date on the doors and a sale in place to liquidate the last of the merchandise, decorations and displays, the Vigues said it has been “a little depressing” to watch the shelves slowly empty.
The Vigues used to comb through the store each night to clean, straighten shelves and restock items that had been sold that day. Today, entire shelves and display racks are bare.
“When you come in the next day, it looks like nothing has been sold,” Rick Vigue said. “We’ve never had empty shelves.”
The couple have loved every minute of operating the store, but said the relationships they’ve built with loyal customers is what they’ll miss most. They’ll also miss the sense of satisfaction they feel when a customer finds the perfect gift for someone and leaves the store happy.
They’ll also miss the people who made a tradition of shopping at Rebecca’s each year for Christmas gifts, or the families who stopped in every summer when they vacationed in Maine.
Rick Vigue recalled one customer who, many years ago, used to bring his young daughter in each year to buy one Christmas ornament. That daughter is now an adult with her own Christmas tree covered in ornaments from Rebecca’s.
Despite the sadness of closing the store, Rick Vigue said the couple have cherished watching “hundreds” of customers return to shop one last time and wish the couple a happy retirement.
“I knew that we were a pretty popular store, but the response we’ve had has been so rewarding,” Rick Vigue said. “Every day people are bringing in champagne and wine and cards. It has been really heartwarming.”