Fifty years as retail royalty

Fifty years as retail royalty

West Acres marks a half century of creating unique, community-centered shopping experiences

By Kaylee Cusack, Minnkota Power Cooperative

Fargo’s West Acres Mall celebrated a significant birthday on Aug. 2 – the big FIVE-0. Much has changed since the shopping center’s doors opened in 1972 and, according to West Acres Chief Operating Officer Alissa Adams, that’s all by design.

“Our goal is to not look 50 years old,” she said.

“That’s true for all of us,” joked Chris Heaton, Senior Vice President of Property Management for West Acres.

To celebrate 50 years of being the premier shopping destination for the region, Adams, Heaton and the rest of West Acres’ partners and staff have been pulling out all the stops. They hosted a week of birthday bash events (live music, donut decorating, balloon animals, you name it), developed 1970s throwback installations throughout their space, and created a birthday lounge featuring a photo timeline of milestones from the groundbreaking to the here and now.

“It’s been fun hearing from people who have been coming to West Acres since the beginning, saying they remember driving down the dirt road to get to West Acres when it first opened,” Adams said. “We’ve been hearing a lot of fun, reflective stories from guests.”

But November is the time to switch from birthday cake to pumpkin pie and gingerbread, and Heaton and Adams are ready for it. West Acres recorded a record-breaking sales year in 2021, and they hope that momentum carries into 2022’s holiday shopping season.

As many other retailers faced challenges from a downturn of brick-and-mortar shopping, tailed by an industry-upending global pandemic, West Acres has continued to thrive through a tumultuous few years. Heaton attributes that success to the fact that West Acres is privately and locally owned, which gives them the flexibility to do things differently.

“We don’t have to answer to shareholders – we answer to our partnership,” he said.

“It’s really the community connection that makes the difference. Most shopping centers aren’t locally owned and managed,” Adams added. “The West Acres team and partners are very invested in the community, from giving back financially to supporting local artists to hosting events. Those details matter to guests.”