From a $2.99 toy airplane to a $3,000 diamond ring, Napa’s newest department store seems to have something for everyone and every budget. After months of construction, Kohl’s department store hosts its grand opening Wednesday.

According to shoppers, the store fills a retail void that many have felt since Mervyns closed its longtime First Street location in August 2008.

“I love the fact that we have a Kohl’s here so we don’t have to drive out of town,” Liane Martinez of Napa said.

Martinez said she also liked the store layout. “It seems to have better flow and structure” than Mervyns did. 

Heather Dodge shopped at Kohl’s with her son Ethan, 1. Dodge said she missed the “affordable department store style,” of Mervyns. “There’s only so much Target or Wal-Mart you can take,” Dodge said. Dodge has shopped at the Vallejo Kohl’s before, “but it’s not as convenient,” as coming to a Kohl’s in Napa, she said. “It gets tiring driving out of Napa,” especially with two young children in tow, she said.

Janet Plowman of Napa worked at the jewelry counter at Kohl’s on Tuesday. Plowman said she’d gotten a lot of comments about how nice and clean the store is. She also worked at the store’s quiet opening on Sunday, Plowman said, where she noted a number of men shopping for necklaces and bracelets while women seemed to go for watches and earrings.

Nicole Allen of Napa was also happy to see Kohl’s open. “It’s much more well lit,” than Mervyns, she said. Allen said she likes having a new choice besides the outlets and Wal-Mart. She said Kohl’s offers better variety. “I shop for plus size clothes and they have a pretty decent section of plus size. You can’t find plus size at the outlets.”  

“This is the perfect replacement for Mervyns,” Renee Babcock of Napa said. “We have great stores in Napa but this fits my budget.” Babcock said her 14-year-old son also likes Kohl’s.

Last week, store manager Glenn Deitz made his way around the 6,400-square-foot store as associates stocked shelves and consulted maps on where rolling racks and displays should be placed.

He admitted he could probably find his way through the store blindfolded. Deitz has worked at the Napa store for four weeks, but “it feels like just days,” he said.

What does Deitz say when people compare the store to the now- defunct Mervyns? “I think our merchandise is higher quality than Mervyns,” he said, citing brands created specifically for Kohl’s like daisy fuentes, Abbey Dawn designed by Avril Lavigne and Simply Vera Vera Wang.

The Napa Kohl’s hired 120 people for the store. Kohl’s is opening 37 stores nationwide this fall, including 35 in former Mervyns locations.

Wednesday’s grand opening will feature a ribbon cutting, balloons, special discounts and other early bird specials, Deitz said. Regular store hours begin next week, but the store is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.