AUBURN – Judy Withers used to make the hour trek to Westbrook to shop at Kohl’s, lured by the promise of great choices and clothes that fit.

Now the Lewiston woman is less than five minutes from the company’s newest store.

Close enough to be the first shopper waiting at its doors Sunday morning. Close enough to make a return visit later this week when she can use her 20-percent-off coupon.

“Yes, I’m dangerous when I go there,” she said with a laugh.

Withers was one of the hundreds of shoppers eager to check out the offerings at Kohl’s on its first day of business.

Although the store doesn’t officially open until Thursday, it is open now to give employees a chance to smooth out any procedural bumps before the grand opening.

They’re getting plenty of practice. Hundreds of cars were in its 440-space lot Sunday morning. Inside, sales associates were directing people to the shoe department, home decor and apparel departments with reminders that nearly every item in the store is on sale. Greeters welcomed shoppers and asked if they were interested in applying for a store credit card that would entitle them to 15 percent off their entire purchase.

On Thursday, anyone who opens a charge account will get a scratch ticket that gives an additional 15 to 30 percent discount off their entire purchase. It’s just one of the inducements to help launch the new store, said Chad Clow, store manager.

“My goal is to be the No. 1 overall store of the 65 new Kohl’s opening today,” he said. The company generally opens all its store collectively, to tie into sales promotions at existing stores.

Last year, it recorded $13.4 billion in sales. Neither Clow nor Rob Schmitt – the manager of the Augusta store who helped open Auburn’s – could disclose the sales projections for the Mount Auburn Avenue Kohl’s. But Schmitt said the company decided to open the Auburn store for two reasons: Customers had been clamoring for one and its zip code surveys backed that up.

“The demographics showed this community could support a store here,” he said.

Julie Ray couldn’t be more delighted. She and her husband live in the nearby Auburn Mall Apartments and she’s been waiting months for the store to open.

Sunday, the first-time Kohl’s shopper got her chance.

“This is fantastic – I love it,” she said to her husband as she smoothed her hand over a faux suede fabric place mat. “This is quality.”

Ray was thrilled to find the leaf-shaped place mats because she has a round table, and traditional rectangular place mats overlap on it. The fact that they were on sale for $4.19 apiece was just retail icing.

“Remember Peck’s?” she asked, referencing Lewiston’s famous upscale department store. “This is the difference. This is quality.”

The department store has made its name on quality merchandise. About 65 percent of the 88,000-square-foot store is dedicated to apparel, with lines like Polo Chaps, Docker’s, Candies, Columbia and Villager beckoning for shoppers’ dollars along with its own store brands like Daisy Fuentes, Apt. 9 and Tony Hawks clothing lines.

Schmitt said Kohl’s has been known for its depth of selection within its women’s apparel lines and now is applying that same strategy to men’s, teen’s and children’s departments.

“We’ve always targeted that mother with two kids, but now we’re deepening other lines,” said Schmitt, noting the success of its Tony Hawk apparel. “Customers just respond to it.”

Clow said he’d gotten lots of positive comments from shoppers by mid-day Sunday. He credits that in part to his staff of 195 employees, most of whom were recruited from L-A.

“A lot of the associates we hired have a great deal of conviction and dedication,” he said. “Of course you can find that anywhere, but here it seems there’s a larger percentage of people who are willing to go that extra mile.”

Schmitt noted the company goes the extra mile as well. A kiosk at the front of the store sells items to support the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland. Right now it has a Dr. Seuss theme, offering books and stuffed characters like the Grinch and Sam-I-Am for $5.

It’s possible one of them might end up in Withers’ cart when she returns for the grand opening. She’d already scouted some “adorable” sweaters for her granddaughter’s Christmas trove.

“I have to save some for Thursday,” she told herself. “I don’t want to go crazy.”