A storefront that sat dark for eight years on Albuquerque's Westside is expected to come back to life. Sierra, the off-price outdoor retailer owned by TJX Companies, is expected to open a 20,000-square-foot store at Cottonwood Corners in fall 2026, offering discounted outdoor gear, apparel and footwear.
Sierra operates as an off-price retailer selling discounted outdoor, active and footwear products, similar in model to TJ Maxx but geared toward adventure gear, according to a report from SimonCRE. The chain is also described by the San Diego Union-Tribune as a discount chain selling snow gear, outdoor goods and fitness apparel.
A Long-Vacant Toys R Us Gets New Purpose
The new Sierra will occupy a junior tenant space within the former Toys R Us building at Cottonwood Corners, per SimonCRE's report. That building had sat empty for eight years, according to KOB 4, which covered the shopping center's redevelopment plans. SimonCRE, which acquired Cottonwood Corners in 2024, has been working to reposition the property, the same SimonCRE report notes.
SimonCRE described Sierra as a new-to-market retailer for Albuquerque, a notable addition for a shopping center that already counts Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Michaels and New Balance among its tenants, according to an Albuquerque Business First report. The same report put Cottonwood Corners' total leasable area at 218,144 square feet. A separate SimonCRE announcement listed additional tenants at the center, including Ross Dress for Less, Legacy Furniture, The UPS Store, Mattress Firm, Leslie's Poolmart, Scrub Spot, LA Luxe Nails and Firehouse Subs.
Timeline Has Shifted Before
The fall 2026 expectation isn't the first timeline floated for the project. KOB 4 reported earlier this year that Sierra was possibly opening by the end of 2026, a more conditional framing than the fall 2026 expectation. SimonCRE's own update had set a broader target, saying the goal was to have Sierra open by the following holiday season after construction began.
Part of a Bigger Expansion Push
Albuquerque's new store fits into a larger growth pattern for Sierra. The chain opened 22 stores in the fiscal year that ended Feb. 1, 2025, bringing its total to 117 locations, according to a report from Shop Eat Surf Outdoor. Sierra planned 24 store openings in fiscal 2027. TJX executives said each expansion opportunity, including smaller-footprint stores in smaller markets, would be evaluated case by case.
Albuquerque isn't the only market getting a new Sierra this fall. The chain is also opening its first Southern California store on Nov. 14 in San Marcos, inside the Grand Plaza shopping center, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Its opening-day celebration is set to start at 8 a.m. with item giveaways and a gift-card treasure hunt, per the same report.
