Levinsky's on the Move Up Again; This Time to a Larger, Stand Alone Store on Route 302 in Windham

Well-known, family-owned business began in Portland in 1919

Levinsky’s, one of Maine’s most famous retailers of brand name jeans, dress clothes and cold weather apparel, announced today it will move to a larger, stand-alone building in Windham next month, the former Aubuchon Hardware on Route 302.

A moving sale will begin at the current Levinsky’s location in the Windham Mall this Wednesday, September 21, and extend through Oct. 12. The new store is expected to open by October 15.

The move is part of an expansion for the long-time retailer, from 4,800 to 7,200 square feet, said owner Eric Levinsky.

[NOTE to Media: Owner Eric Levinsky is available for interviews today and throughout the sale by calling him at 892-6384 or 892-5797 to arrange.]

“We are very excited, of course, because we are expanding again, and that’s good for us and good for our customers,” Levinsky said.

The expansion comes at a time when other retailers are expanding in Windham, said Levinsky, referring to the construction of a new Home Depot and a Lowe’s, and recent openings of an Applebee’s, Quizno’s and Tim Horton’s in the area.

The new store will be located at 693 Roosevelt Trail (Route 302), about 100 yards from the shopping center containing Maine Bean and Bake House, Yankee Candle and Haven’s Candies at the intersection of River Road and Route 302, across the street from Chute’s Restaurant.

“This type of freestanding building with 302 frontage is going to be great for us. Levinsky’s has always done best as a freestanding store, which is more convenient for customers since you can park right at the door,” said Levinsky, the grandson of the store's founder, Jacob Levinsky, who opened his first store in 1919.

“The bigger store will feature the largest selection of Levi's jeans in New England and our expanded Dockers department will not only carry pants and shirts but also suits, sport coats, dress pants, belts, wallets and shoes, both casual and dressy. There also will be more traditional Maine lines such as lined jeans, chamois shirts, wool socks, long johns and other cold weather apparel,” he said.

Levinsky’s has been in Windham since 1988 and moved out of downtown Portland in 2003. The strong economic climate in the Lakes Region makes this a perfect time to expand in Windham, Levinsky said.

“The Lakes Region has had a healthy population growth in recent years,” Levinsky explained. “Home Depot and Lowe’s are presently under construction and will be opening within a month or two and we hear that other large chains and restaurants are coming next year. Business for us in Windham has been good, but since 2000 when the mall tenants began changing, it affected our business. New tenants had exterior entrances so their customers rarely ventured into the mall since they could leave the same entrance they came in. So it wasn’t working for us.”

Levinsky is projecting a 40 percent increase in sales at the new location due to a combination of positive factors – Windham’s boom, the store’s product mix of brand name clothing at discount prices, his longtime commitment to advertising his family’s business, and a location with ample parking on a busy road.

“When they say ‘location, location, location,’ they mean it. This will bring us back to where we were 10 years ago, which is a great feeling,” he said.

The new store will open by October 15 with new hours – 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

For more info, call Eric Levinsky at the store, 207-892-5797.

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