SACRAMENTO BEE - New Stores Opening in Sacramento Region

The Sacramento area is seeing a number of new store openings just in time for the Christmas shopping season.

WiseBuys, the discount center where all merchandise is priced at $9.98 or less, announced Thursday that it will open a new outlet in Citrus Heights next month. New Sports Authority and Target outlets also are joining the local scene.

The 46,000-square-foot WiseBuys store is scheduled to open in mid-November in the former Circuit City building, 7999 Greenback Lane, just across from Sunrise Mall. It will employ about 50.

Financially swamped Circuit City shuttered five local stores in 2009.

In September 2008, local entrepreneur Gary Cino opened his first WiseBuys in Roseville, at the intersection of Douglas and Harding Boulevards.  Cino founded 98 Cent Clearance Centers started in North Highlands two decades ago. He sold to Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. in 1998.  Cino said Thursday that the recession stalled plans to open other WiseBuys outlets, but "hopefully with a strong fourth quarter and things getting better, we can start moving forward again."

WiseBuys isn´t the only addition.

At the nearby Birdcage shopping complex in Citrus Heights, sports gear giant Sports Authority will open a massive new outlet on Oct. 23.

Also, Sacramento’s newest Target store will be one of 10 U.S. Target outlets hosting grand-opening ceremonies on Sunday.

The 138,000-square-foot store at 6507 Fourth Ave. had a "soft" opening on Tuesday, but officials of Minneapolis-based Target Corp. have special events planned at the local store and the other newly opened outlets on Sunday, celebrating more than 2,400 jobs created nationwide.

Four of the 10 new stores are in California.  The other three are in Simi Valley, Bakersfield and San Jose.  There are more than 15 Target outlets in the Sacramento area.

In this economy, any retail store opening is cause for celebration.  Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said the new Target at Fourth Avenue and 65th Street "will strengthen our neighborhoods by contributing to our economy and providing jobs in Sacramento."

As part of Sunday´s grand-opening ceremonies, Target said it will make a contribution to United Way, donate food to the Feeding America program and donate materials to the regional Goodwill Industries chapter.  Target also will present a $10,000 grant to the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.  The store employs about 325 and includes a pharmacy and a fresh-food section.