Batavia about to be home to Sierra Trading Post

BATAVIA – Two new retail stores will open soon in the same Batavia shopping center, filling much of the space left vacant by two other operations.

Sierra Trading Post is set to open its doors March 17 at 1980 W. Fabyan Parkway. Dollar Tree is expected to open soon afterward a few doors down at 1964 W. Fabyan Parkway.

Off-price retailer Sierra Trading Post, which features outdoor apparel, footwear and adventure gear, is converting 18,000 square feet of space formerly occupied by a Circuit City store until the electronics giant went out of business nearly a decade ago.

Meanwhile, general merchandise discount retailer Dollar Tree is preparing to take over an 11,000-square-foot location that had been home to an Office Depot. The store closed when the Office Depot chain merged with OfficeMax, which has a site nearby on Randall Road.

The opening of the two stores is expected to improve the fortunes of the shopping center, located at the southeast corner of Fabyan and Randall Road, backing up to the Braeburn Marsh.

The shopping center is anchored by the Trader Joe’s food store and a Walgreens, and also features the Lumes Pancake House and Restaurant as well as the Smashburger chain.

The generation of additional retail sales tax comes as good news for the city of Batavia, still reeling from the January closure of the giant Sam’s Club store on Randall Road.

“It’s tough to fill large commercial spaces these days,” Batavia Economic Development Consultant Chris Aiston said.

The U.S. is overbuilt when it comes to the amount of available commercial square feet per capita, Aiston said, adding that the online shopping trend is making business difficult for brick-and-mortar stores.

But the two new stores are positioned to buck that trend.

“Sierra Trading Post is unique in what they offer,” Aiston said. “They’ve got a market niche.”

The retailer offers a full range of running, biking, camping, climbing and hiking gear, along with clothing, bed and bath accessories, home decor and pet supplies.

Dollar Tree, meanwhile, has a simple formula to attract shoppers seeking general merchandise at rock-bottom prices.

“They have it figured out,” Aiston said.

Sierra Trading Post is taking over a little more than half of the old Circuit City space, leaving about 15,000 square feet available, sandwiched between it and the Dollar Tree.

The two new stores are located between the Trader Joe’s and Smashburger.

There was preparatory activity inside both the Sierra Trading Post and Dollar Tree spaces Feb. 25. Work inside the Sierra Trading Post is much further along, with many store fixtures and signs already in place.