Jun. 25—PITTSFIELD — The R.H. Reny Inc. store that opened 55 years ago in downtown Pittsfield has moved to the former Walgreens building at 506 Somerset Ave., near Interstate 95.

The company held a soft opening Saturday at the store, with a grand opening set for July 14, according to owner John Reny.

The new, 10,000-square-foot space is on one level and feels much more spacious than the old, three-story building at 131 Main St., which closed last Monday, although the square footage is about the same, Reny said Friday.

Customers will now be able to use shopping carts because the aisles are larger, he said. Shopping was difficult at the downtown store because customers had to climb stairs. Reny said that location did the smallest volume of the company's 17 stores around the state.

"I think it's going to be a great experience for our customers up there and for our staff," he said of the new location.

Renys carries a variety of merchandise, including Maine-themed gifts, food, clothing, footwear, housewares, cleaning products, greeting cards, bed and bath products and summer furniture.

The idea to move to the former Walgreens began when Peter Vigue, CEO of Cianbro, approached Reny and said the company had bought the Somerset Avenue building and asked if Reny wanted to buy or rent it. After a discussion with his daughter and nephew, John Reny said, they decided to buy the building.

"We put new flooring in, new ceilings, new lighting," he said. "It wasn't sprinkled, so we put a sprinkler system in. The people of Pittsfield and the shoppers up there are just going to be wowed when they see it."

Walgreens moved to a smaller location up the street, at 420 Somerset Ave.

Reny said the downtown location that housed the now-relocated Renys store is to be sold.

"We've already got a real estate agent lined up to try to market it," he said. "Somebody's going to want it."

Renys has 17 stores in Maine. John Reny's father, the late Robert H. Reny, opened his first store in Damariscotta in 1949. R.H. Reny Inc.'s main office and distribution center is in Newcastle in Lincoln County.