AUBURN – A new shoe retailer expects to open at the Auburn Mall this week.

The Shoe Dept., a North Carolina-based national shoe chain, is opening its second Maine store in the space formerly occupied by Lamey-Wellehan shoes. Construction crews are readying the space for the new tenant, which offers brand-name, family shoes.

“They’re a good-sized outfit; we’re delighted they’ve come here,” said David Lee, mall manager.

The Shoe Dept. has 565 stores in 33 states. The only other Maine store is in Bangor.

Lee said the retailer decided to come to Auburn after sitting down with mall marketers to review the area’s demographics. Discussions had been under way for a couple of years before a lease agreement was signed, said Lee.

“We said it was good place for them to be and they agreed,” he said.

The Shoe Dept. carries brand names such as Timberland, Naturalizer, Mudd, New Balance and Tommy Hilfiger. It offers casual as well as dressy shoes, boots, athletic wear and sandals for women, men and children.

Prices for shoes start at about $20, and for athletic footwear, $40.

The store is about 5,000 square feet and is designed with capacity for 11,000 pairs of shoes.

The former tenant, Lamey-Wellehan, is operating temporarily from the old Emerson Toyota building on Center Street in Auburn and is building a new store at 940 Turner St.

The Shoe Dept.’s parent company, Show Show, was founded in 1960 and has grown to include the Shoe Dept. and Burlington Shoes. Together they have more than 900 store locations.

According to its Web site, the privately held company has succeeded by offering customers a quality product with service and value. In 2003, it had annual sales climbing toward $750 million.