National chain stores Best Buy and Wegmans food store will both open their doors for business in State College within the next few months.

Best Buy, an electronics and appliance store, will be located at 1650 N. Atherton St., and is scheduled to open Nov. 9.

Ryan Munthe, general manager, said he believes State College will benefit from the addition of a Best Buy to the area.

"Whenever we open a store, we aim to bring our services to a new market, and if you look at all of the other merchants moving into the area, you can see that State College is really an up-and-coming town," he said.

Munthe said the new Best Buy could also boost the local economy, by making part-time employment opportunities available.

"Over 75 percent of our staff are part-time employees, and it's a great job for students in college," he said.

Munthe said plans for the grand opening of the store are not final, but in the past the store has had special promotions and giveaways.

Also in the works are plans for a Wegmans supermarket, to be located at 345 Lowe's Blvd. in The Colonnade at State College in Patton Township.

After conducting market research, Wegmans officials decided to place a store in the State College area, said Wegmans media relations coordinator Katie Crane.

"With the school, it looked like a good market for it," Crane said.

Wegmans is currently under construction and should be partially finished by Thanksgiving, Crane said.

A portable trailer for store offices and employee hiring will be parked in front of the Wegmans store starting around the end of November.

The store itself will be open for business in May 2002, Crane said.

Wegmans is a privately held, family-owned upscale grocery store that originated in Rochester, NY.

There are stores already open and operating in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

The recently constructed 500,000 square foot shopping center currently has a Target and a Circuit City open for business.

Mike Vannucchi (senior-industrial engineering) said he has been to a Wegmans food store in Allentown, Pa. and is unsure how the upscale market will do in State College. He said he thinks the store may be too expensive for a typical college student's budget.

"They have better food, but we can survive on Ramen noodles if we have to," he said.