Very nice staff. Great prices. My go to for my footwear! Always have what I need. Easy access in…read moreEllsworth.

The kids did not pack well for vacation and mom and dad did not double check, so both did not have…read moreany water shoes and we were at a house on a lake. We checked out the LL Bean Outlet (strike one), the Cadillac Mountain Sports store (strike two), but they recommended Curtis Family Shoes because they sold Crocs which is what I had as my water shoes and they were too small for my kid but he liked them. We made it to the non-chain store and asked about the Crocs and told that they don't carry them anymore because Crocs got rid of all their independent shoe store accounts. I did not know this, but the helpful staffer did make some other suggestions for water shoes. The store has quite the selection of shoes from business to business casual to sneakers to hospital worker shoes and boots and they even had a display size 26 shoe. I should've taken a picture... The staff help was very friendly and accommodating. We ended up finding two different brands of water shoes that met our needs for our kids. The return policy was adequate and I hope we don't have to come back. But if we do, then I'll take a picture of Bigfoot. It's always nice to support an independent business while on vacation.

So I visited this store on a whim as I never heard of this store before living in Maine. It turns…read moreout it's a chain of discount stores only found in Maine. I would say they're similar to a Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshall's type of store. They have discounted clothing, shoes,appliances, food, gardening supplies, and many more items. If you're on a budget, I would recommend stopping in here to get some household items at a very affordable price.

We love Reny's. It's a discount store but it carries Carhardtt, Columbia, Merrill boots, Teva…read moresandals and other name brands. The selection is always good at Reny's. You might be able to get items for cheaper if you follow sales, but when you can't find items at other stores, Reny's usually has it. When you're there, go to the spices and seasonings area and buy the Camp Mix. Camp Mix is a salt/Garlic/pepper seasoning that is great for meats, eggs, pasta and Bloody Mary's. The honey/cinnamon is perfect for oatmeal and toast. The Spud flavor is wonderful on pork and chicken. The staff is always helpful and pleasant.

Mardens is a must go to store whenever we visit from CT. The fabric selection is the best part of…read morethe store. The women that work in the fabric area are knowledgeable and very helpful. The rest of the store is hit or miss. A lot of junk, but lots a gems too. We always come away with something. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth the stop.

Mardens is great. The employees are happy and helpful. If you go to a big box store you can tell…read moretheir employees are not treated well. It is different at mardens and that attitude is payed forward to the customer. If your a bargain hunter this is the place to go. I try to walk through the store weekly and see what's new. Always new inventory. Any home repair I do I start at mardens they don't have everything you need but you can always find somthing. The saving are huge and the products are the same as or better than the Home Depot down the road.

I enjoy poking around the LLBean Outlet. They've moved to a new pricing model in the last few years…read moreand I don't think the deals are as good as we used to get, but it's still cheaper. The prices on the items are normal retail prices and each rack will have the percentage off above it. Most of the clothes are 30% off the retail prices. If you look, you may find a rack with 50% off or more and they have specials on items they are looking to move. We have the LLBean MasterCard so we have points and can use the points at the store. That makes for some great shopping. Staff is always helpful.

The same way I enjoy outlet malls for their deep, deep discounts on designer clothing, I also love…read morebuying bed linens and other home textiles. We visited a NY outlet back in early March but were stumped to noticed there weren't any home stores and left us with the urge for 'home' outlet shopping. So on our drive south to Portland, ME from Bar Harbor, hubs and I decided to see this L.L. on Rt 1 in Ellsworth. I honestly think the men's clothing (more so than the women's) are a bit on the cool side so picked up a few casual tops for my husband since he's still working from home and some lightweight cargo pants. While I'm a proud owner of their heavy-duty canvas totes for the last umpteen years (I own 2 large ones), the clothes not so much. L.L. women's clothes aren't my style- and not to say anything wrong about it, but the clothes are more for a certain crowd. There are those duck boots and small wooden furniture on the floor also for sale. But I finally got my hands on a white-grey cotton sheet set and a down grey comforter that I've been wanting. As the cashier scans your items, you'll notice their original, jacked-up prices- so don't let it spook you the way it did to me as discounts are applied at the end. Once we paid, I didn't feel this was my doom-and-gloom outlet visit. Service was nice and respectful by the way.

Goodwill stores are always hit or miss. I'm always on the hunt for romance paperbacks for my 89…read moreyear old MIL. I always do well at the Ellsworth Goodwill store. Today I got $48 worth of $1, $2 and $3 paperbacks. She will be thrilled. We shop at a lot of Goodwill stores and thrift shops. This store is well laid out and clean. The staff is friendly and helpful. It's worth a visit.

Okay I'm just gonna come out and say it--this was probably the saddest Goodwill that I've ever been…read morein, and ya girl looked through the ENTIRE STORE. Slim pickings, and the racks were less than half full. I understand completely that Goodwill's business model is based on donations, but man, wouldn't you think with everyone cleaning out their houses during the pandemic that this join would be filled with second hand treasures. IDK fam, I'm not from the area, and this area may be a weird one that I'm not fully aware of, but man was I disappointed in the selection. It seemed like they had more random new stuff (overstock) than second hand finds. Anywho, I found a cool polar bear sweater that needs a bit of work for this holiday season, but I cannot wait to add to my "ugly sweater" collection.

This is. is a unique treasure of a place to find in the area, super organized and clean while…read moreoffering a great variety of items to suit your needs. Well lit, friendly staff and variety variety variety! You should stop in when you are in town!

Such a fun store to browse and shop. They have an eclectic mix of clothing and accessories that are…read moreboth thrifted and new. Prices range from low to mid range. If you're looking for something fun and thrifted in Ellsworth, I definitely recommend stopping in for a gander.

We love a good thrift shop when we are visiting different states. We stumbled across Clothes…read moreEncounter when visiting Ellsworth. We were welcomed when we came in. There are some nice vintage pieces including dresses, jeans and tops. I got an LLBean fleece vest for $8. My daughter got a nice top for $10. A nice selection, good prices and pleasant staff. We will be back.

Clothes Encounter is by far my favorite thrift store. They have a thoughtfully curated selection of…read moreclothes and accessories at good prices. The staff are always friendly and make me feel welcome.