A Nashville-area electronics retailer is opening a store in Cleveland, Tenn., next week and looking at starting two Chattanooga units early in 2012, an official said Friday.
Electronic Express is opening a 20,000-square-foot store at Cleveland Towne Center in a former Circuit City, said company President Sam Yazdian.
"After that, we're going to look into the Chattanooga market," he said. "We haven't completely done site selection yet. Hopefully, it will be early next year."
Electronic Express, founded in 1983, is a retailer of electronics, TVs, home theater systems, appliances and other goods. It stocks more than 20,000 items, according to the company.
Yazdian said the privately held business has 17 stores and is focused in Middle Tennessee.
He said company officials had been looking at moving into Southeast Tennessee.
"The timing is right," Yazdian said.
Katie Reinsmidt, vice president of corporate communications for Chattanooga-based shopping center developer CBL & Associates Properties Inc., said it has an Electronics Express location in Nashville among its clients.
Cleveland Towne Center off Paul Huff Parkway is 350,000 square feet. Other stores in the center include Target, Kohl's, Ross and Michaels.
Cleveland is benefiting from several big corporate projects, including a Wacker Chemical plant, an Amazon distribution center and a replacement factory by Whirlpool.
Chattanooga, too, is seeing new projects, such as Volkswagen's auto assembly plant and supplier park and an Amazon center.