FARGO — The new Von Maur department store is shined up, fully stocked and ready to rock.
“We are truly ready to go here. We’re excited,” Melody Wright, Von Maur’s chief operating officer said Friday, March 28, during a tour of the store.
The upscale retailer’s grand opening at the West Acres mall is Saturday, April 5, though a soft opening will probably start a few days before. It is the chain’s first store in North Dakota.
“We just kind of play it by ear” for opening to the public, Wright said
Melissa von Maur, wife of the chain’s president and CEO Jim von Maur, was also on hand for the walk-through of the 90,000 square-foot store, the company’s 39th to come online.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
“We’re excited to be here. I hope you’re excited for us,” von Maur said.
The April 5 grand opening will include giveaways, children’s activities through 4 p.m., DJs and gift cards. A ribbon cutting will be held at 9:45 a.m., with the store’s first customers to get roses and chocolates while supplies last, the company said in an earlier news release.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Von Maur, a native of Hatton, N.D., said early shoppers will even get a round of applause from employees.“It’s a special moment. It’s a party,” von Maur said.
West Acres officials are certainly happy Von Maur is ready to throw open its doors.
“With only one or two new store openings per year, their decision to open here is not just a major milestone for West Acres — it’s a testament to the strength and vibrancy of our region. This is the most significant store opening at West Acres since the JCPenney wing expansion in 1979, and we couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Alissa Adams, chief operating office of West Acres Development.
“Their store is absolutely stunning, with every detail designed to make guests feel at home, from beautifully appointed dressing rooms to inviting, comfortable spaces throughout,” Adams said. “We know shoppers from across the region will fall in love with Von Maur.”
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Chris Heaton, senior vice president of property management for West Acres, said it’s taken a long time to find a tenant for the former Herberger’s department store space, but he’s glad it was preserved.
“It was nice we found someone who saw a use for the space,” he said, rather than having the structure razed.
“They did a great job of it,” Heaton said.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Wright said Von Maur focuses on having a wide range of products and price points — a good, better, or best selection — for everyone from shoppers looking for reasonable prices, to those looking for something unique and special. Altogether, Von Maur has about 12,000 active vendors who keep the shelves full year-round.
“There’s something for everyone here,” Wright said.“We really focus on bringing in unique brands. Brands you aren’t going to find everywhere. We seek out emerging brands (and) we work with small brands to help grow their business,” she said.
The store also pays attention to finer touches. There are chandeliers in the fitting room areas, and couches and other soft furniture by the women’s restrooms, as well as a room for nursing mothers.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
The aim is to create “a residential environment,” Wright said.
“We want you to feel at home,” von Maur added.
The shoe department is expansive, and includes a wide selection of women’s, men’s and children’s shoes.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
“We’ve got lots and lots and lots of options for shoes. I mean, we just have dozens and dozens of vendors,” Wright said.
Shoe prices don’t jump around, Wright said. When it’s time for a shoe to go on sale, it goes to the clearance room. A first markdown is 33% off, the next is at 50% off, the next at 75% off, and twice a year, clearance markdowns of 90% off.
“People mob our store,” for those end-of-season sales, Wright said.
Whatever doesn’t sell is donated. Product is not carried over season to season.
“We want to keep our goods fresh,” Wright said.
The store carries a variety of cosmetics brands, among them, Bobbi Brown, Clinique and Clarins, as well as jewelry — from cosmetic pieces to fine jewelry.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
The handbag selection runs all the way from tote bags at $35, to upscale brands such as Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton. And if you’re feeling flush, there’s a Hermes Kelly handbag for $26,000.
“It is truly a very wide variety. We have something for everyone and for every occasion,” Wright said.
The menswear department offers a variety of brands and styles — and full tailoring, Wright said.
The men’s segment “has just seen a tremendous amount of growth,” Wright said. “I think we have a really unique product selection for customers shopping in men’s. There’s just a lot of great brands, a lot of different fits.”
And “they don’t have to drive to Minneapolis,” von Maur said.
On the west side of the store are juniors clothing for tweens to young women, as well as activewear and athleisure brands.
Von Maur also carries a mix of housewares, home decor, seasonal gifts and special gifts for weddings, anniversaries and graduations. And there’s a snack shop. (There’s also free shipping and gift wrapping.)
Come in the south entrance, and you’ll find boys and girls clothing.
“If you have a young one that needs a suit, we carry suits,” Wright said.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
For shoppers in need of a rest, Von Maur’s “center court” area has soft seating and a baby grand piano, which is played by musicians hired to “create a nice environment for shopping.”
There are no interior walls in the store, which is a conscious choice, Wright said. With unblocked views of the whole store, it’s easy to find family and friends on a shopping trip.
“All you have to do is simply turn and find who you are looking for,” she said.
Wright declined to say if more stores are planned in the region, such as St. Cloud, Bismarck or Sioux Falls, S.D., but she added that “we are always looking for opportunities to grow.”
Von Maur also isn’t worried about competition from other mall retailers, such as Macy’s and JCPenney.
“I think we’re going to stack up well,” Wright said. “Everyone is a competitor.”
Von Maur opened the Dry Goods store at West Acres in 2018. Wright said that store is among the top five locations for the privately held company. The company has said the success of Dry Goods gave its leaders confidence to invest further in the mall.
In addition to its new store openings, Von Maur is investing about $100 million into existing stores.
Von Maur was founded in 1872 in Davenport, Iowa
There will be about 100 employees at the Fargo location, a company spokeswoman told The Forum.
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