Loyal customers reacted to the impending shuttering of Bull Moose’s North Windham store, which has existed since 1991, with dismay.
The closure, set for the end of January, was announced Wednesday via a Facebook post. According to the statement, the store was closing because “the realities of the space make it increasingly difficult to serve our customers and staff the way we believe they deserve.”
“This was a difficult decision,” said Bull Moose CEO Brett Wickard in a statement to Lakes Region Now. “We’re offering affected staff positions at our other locations, and our priority is supporting them through the transition. We’re grateful to our team for their hard work and to the Windham community for many years of support.”
Bull Moose will have 10 locations throughout Maine and New Hampshire following the closure of the Windham branch. The company’s downtown Portland location was closed during the pandemic.
At the record store, customers lamented the loss of another Maine business, something that many noted is becoming increasingly common.
Dan Knott, who has been a regular at Bull Moose since he was a teenager in the 1990s, said the store’s closure felt like a loss to the community. He said his son, who attends Keene State College in New Hampshire, frequents the Bull Moose there, and was glad that he is still able to experience that.
Matt Markot, executive director of Loon Echo Land Trust, told Lakes Region Now that he visits Bull Moose from time to time. He said it’s always sad to see any local business close, particularly one that has been an institution in the area for a long time.
Bre Worcester, whose daughter Skye was a regular at the store, lamented there isn’t anything else like Bull Moose in the Lakes Region.
“It’s too bad, it really is,” said Stephen Jones. “The people that work here are very nice and very pleasant, extremely helpful.”
The North Windham Bull Moose branch will remain open until the end of January, with flash sales and other events to sell remaining inventory.