Sustainable shop GoGo Refill announced on Tuesday that it will close its Brunswick location by the end of the month.

In a social media post, the company said that it “wrestled with this decision for months, and it breaks our hearts” but noted that the closure does not mean that the concept of the shop failed in Brunswick. Closure was the best option based on a number of factors, many of which the company said were “beyond our control.”

 

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“We’ve had such a wonderful experience getting to know the Brunswick and Midcoast communities,” said owner Laura Marston. “And we are working toward the next opportunity that will help us service that area.”

The shop, located at 163 Pleasant St., opened in 2022 as the second storefront for the South Portland–based business. It offers plastic-free, zero-waste products such as cleaning supplies and toiletries. Customers can also come in with containers to fill with soaps and other detergent products used for chores like laundry and dishes.

Though the leadup to the closing was months in the making, Marston said that the final decision was confirmed over the weekend. Staff at the Brunswick location were aware of the process and given the option to keep their work hours in the South Portland location. Much of the team already splits time between the two locations, she said.

Marston said that the decision did not feel great but was unavoidable. She said that there were some factors behind the scenes that she could not share publicly that led to the decision, and that the closing was the next best step moving forward. However, she did note that the business was profitable.

As for the shop’s two-year history in the town, Marston said that GoGo Refill has made a lot of impact on the community.

In that amount of time, it diverted or “refused” about over 40,000 plastic containers at the Brunswick location alone. She said that it had a solid crew of customers — often referred to as “refillers” — who relied on the location for sustainable goods.

The business has also spearheaded sustainable initiatives through community projects, such as an effort to save used solar eclipse glasses from the trash last April. 

“We were able to make an impact. We were able to connect with the Brunswick community — hopefully in lasting ways that will stretch beyond that physical location,” Marston said.

Looking towards the future, Marston said that another brick-and-mortar in the area is not off the table. For now, she said that the company will recuperate and figure out exactly what comes next. She is exploring options like popups at farmers markets.

“We are going to try to maintain service to the Brunswick-Midcoast region as soon as possible,” she said.

Marston said to stay tuned for announcements about next steps. She added the South Portland business is still going strong and that customers can order items online if they cannot travel down.

The shop’s last day in Brunswick will be Sunday, Jan. 26.