Dozens of new stores open in San Rafael (actually only one: Target)

This weekend I went for a first look at the great new clothing store in San Rafael.  Then I visited the new shoe store, and also checked out the new sporting goods store, the new toy store, home furnishings store, electronics store, music store, book store and cycle store.  Oh, and then I picked up some groceries at the new grocery store and a few items at the new pharmacy, and took a well-earned rest at the new coffee shop.

Of course, as you have probably guessed, all these new stores are actually components of just one store, the gargantuan Target Supercenter, that now sits by the edge of San Rafael Bay next to that other great retail megastore, Home Depot.

And very pretty the new store looks too, with abundant plantings and brightly painted curbs in the car park, and a quite stunning vista overlooking the Bay, best appreciated from one of the comfy couches in the Starbucks concession.

Inside the store is shiny and bright and very familiar to anyone who has ever been in a Target store. The staff are friendly and efficient and the shelves are well stocked.

And because it is a Supercenter you can buy everything you need here, which is great news for those people in southern and central Marin that like shopping that way, but not so great news for the owners of other stores in the area whose sales will shrink as a result.