West Acres
West Acres is a privately held, locally owned regional shopping center in Fargo, North Dakota, operating approximately 950,000 square feet across 100+ stores and serving millions of annual visitors from a multi-state Upper Midwest catchment. Revenue is generated through retail tenant leases, advertising, gift cards, and event rentals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersFargo, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What West Acres does
West Acres is a privately held regional shopping center located at the intersection of I-29 and 13th Avenue South in Fargo, North Dakota. Founded in 1972 by William (Bill) Schlossman and a group of local partners, the property has expanded from an initial 52 stores in approximately 230,000 square feet to more than 100 stores across approximately 950,000 square feet, drawing millions of annual visitors from a 2.3 million population catchment that spans North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, and parts of Canada. The company has remained locally owned and operated throughout its history, with no venture capital, private equity, or parent company involvement disclosed.
The business operates as a physical retail real estate platform with revenue generated primarily through retail tenant leases, supplemented by advertising and sponsorships (door clings, table tents, standees, back-lit directory panels, mall carts), mall gift card sales, and event space rentals (Community Corner and Community Room). Beyond core retail operations, the company runs the Regional Showcase art program featuring work from more than 100 local and regional artists, the West Acres Cares philanthropic initiative distributing over $250,000 annually to regional nonprofits, and The Market @ West Acres seasonal farmers market operated in partnership with the Northern Plains Botanic Garden Society. Tenant-facing services include dedicated marketing support spanning social media, PR outreach, and community engagement.
The company serves three primary customer segments: regional consumers seeking shopping, dining, and entertainment; retail tenants (national, regional, and local) requiring high-traffic retail space with marketing support; and local producers/vendors accessing shoppers through the on-site farmers market. Marketing is conducted primarily through organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), email newsletters, and experiential programming rather than paid digital acquisition, reflecting the asset's reliance on physical foot traffic and brand recognition built over 50+ years.
West Acres firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- West Acres
- Legal name
- West Acres
- Website
- https://westacres.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- West Acres is a privately held, locally owned regional shopping center in Fargo, North Dakota, operating approximately 950,000 square feet across 100+ stores and serving millions of annual visitors from a multi-state Upper Midwest catchment. Revenue is generated through retail tenant leases, advertising, gift cards, and event rentals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
West Acres industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Shopping Mall Operations
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regional Full-Line Department Stores (CRAGAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Regional Traditional Department Stores (CRAGAAAD)
Keywords
Where West Acres is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fargo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
West Acres business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Retail Tenant Leases: West Acres generates revenue primarily through leasing retail space to national, regional, and local retailers. The mall provides dedicated marketing support, social media reach, PR support, and community engagement for its tenants.
- Advertising & Sponsorships: The mall offers various advertising options including door clings, table tents, standees, back-lit directory panels, and mall carts. These are sold to businesses wanting to reach the millions of annual visitors to the mall.
- Mall Cards and Gift Cards: Sale of mall gift cards through Guest Services, providing customers with a convenient gifting option for mall retailers.
- Event Space Rentals: The mall rents out community spaces including the Community Corner and Community Room for events such as birthday parties, baby showers, corporate events, and meetings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Groundskeeping External Operations |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Groundskeeping Part-time |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Athleta Part Time Lead |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Buckle Part-time Sales Teammate |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Buckle Full-time Floor Leader |
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
West Acres product offering
Product offeringCore offering
West Acres is a privately owned and operated regional shopping center in Fargo, ND that leases approximately 950,000 square feet of retail space across more than 100 stores to national, regional, and local retailers. It also generates revenue through mall advertising and sponsorships, gift card sales, and event space rentals while operating community programming such as the Regional Showcase art program, The Market farmers market, and the Summer Story Squad.
Product overview
West Acres is a regional shopping center in Fargo, ND that operates as a unified retail destination combining shopping, dining, and community experiences. The product portfolio centers on the mall itself as a physical retail destination, supported by services including Mall Gift Cards, comprehensive Store and Dining Directories, Events programming (including Summer Story Squad and The Market farmers market), Attractions (notably the Regional Showcase art program), and Event Rental Spaces (Community Corner and Community Room). The business also offers Advertising/Sponsorships and Retail Space Leasing as commercial services for tenants and advertisers. The mall encompasses approximately 950,000 square feet across more than 100 stores, serving millions of annual visitors from a broad regional area including North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Regional Showcase: Art and artists program showcasing local and regional artwork, performances, and events throughout the mall. Features work from more than 100 local and regional artists, hosts over 80 performances by local groups, and includes initiatives such as Artist-In-Residence program and pop-up art installations.
- West Acres Cares
Products and services
- Retail Space Leasing Commercial retail space available for lease at the shopping center, including dedicated marketing support, PR services, and social media promotion for tenants.
- Advertising/Sponsorships Marketing and advertising opportunities including door clings, table tents, standees, back-lit directory panels, and mall carts for businesses to reach millions of annual visitors.
- Mall Gift Cards West Acres Mall Cards are prepaid gift cards that can be purchased at Guest Services and used at participating stores throughout the shopping center.
- Community Corner Event Rental Space Event rental space located in the Roger Maris wing, measuring 35 x 100 feet with theater style seating for up to 80 guests, classroom style for 60, or meeting style for 60.
- Community Room Event Rental Space Event rental space located in the lower level (JCPenney wing), measuring 24 x 34 feet with theater style seating for up to 40 guests, classroom style for 25, or meeting style for 25.
- The Market @ West Acres A seasonal farmers market partnership with Northern Plains Botanic Garden Society featuring regional produce vendors, operating Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9am-3pm from June through October.
- Regional Showcase Art Program An art and performance program showcasing local and regional artwork, featuring over 100 artists, more than 80 performances annually, pop-up installations, holiday performances, and an Artist-In-Residence program.
- Summer Story Squad A free weekly storytime program for children held every Tuesday from June through August, featuring special guests and activities at Aquarium Court.
- Guest Services Customer services including mall cards, stroller and wheelchair rentals, gift wrapping, and general assistance for shoppers.
- West Acres Cares Philanthropic program providing over $250,000 in annual funding to local and regional nonprofit organizations in areas of human services, arts, education, and youth. Also donates mall cards, kiosk space, and advertising opportunities.
Companies that use West Acres
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
West Acres technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
West Acres partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Northern Plains Botanic Garden SocietycoreThe Northern Plains Botanic Garden Society operates The Market @ West Acres, a vibrant farmers market on the property of West Acres. This partnership contributes to the success of regional food growers, gardeners, and producers, supports a healthy and vibrant community, and serves as a community gathering place. The market operates Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9am-3pm, June through October.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
West Acres competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dakota Square Mall: Enclosed regional mall in Minot, ND—another in-state regional mall peer serving western North Dakota with a similar mid-market tenant mix.
- Empire Mall: Enclosed regional shopping mall in Sioux Falls, SD serving a similar upper Midwest trade area with a comparable anchor tenant mix and 100+ stores.
- Mall of America: Largest regional shopping mall in the US, located in Bloomington, MN within the same upper Midwest region. Comparable as an enclosed regional mall drawing shoppers from a multi-state catchment, though at substantially greater scale.
- Apache Mall: Enclosed regional mall in Rochester, MN anchored by department stores and national specialty retailers. Comparable mid-sized regional mall in Minnesota serving a similar demographic profile.
- River Hills Mall: Enclosed regional mall in Mankato, MN with a comparable mix of department store anchors and specialty retailers serving southern Minnesota.
- Kirkwood Mall: Enclosed regional mall in Bismarck, ND—the most direct geographic peer to West Acres within North Dakota, serving a similar regional catchment with comparable anchor and specialty retailers.
- Crossroads Center: Enclosed regional shopping mall in St. Cloud, MN with a similar mid-market anchor and specialty tenant mix serving central Minnesota.
- Southdale Center: Historic enclosed regional mall in Edina, MN (the original American indoor mall). Directly comparable as a multi-anchor regional shopping destination in the same geographic region.
- Rushmore Mall: Enclosed regional mall in Rapid City, SD drawing shoppers from a multi-state catchment including Wyoming and Montana. Comparable as a regional enclosed mall in a similar mid-sized market.
Broad incumbents
- Simon Property Group: Largest US mall REIT, owner/operator of hundreds of enclosed regional malls including Southdale Center and several Minnesota peers. Comparable as the dominant institutional operator in the regional mall category, though at vastly greater scale and with a public-market capital base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
West Acres social profiles
Digital presenceWest Acres financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
West Acres leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
West Acres funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
West Acres M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about West Acres
What does West Acres do?
West Acres is a privately owned and operated regional shopping center in Fargo, ND that leases approximately 950,000 square feet of retail space across more than 100 stores to national, regional, and local retailers. It also generates revenue through mall advertising and sponsorships, gift card sales, and event space rentals while operating community programming such as the Regional Showcase art program, The Market farmers market, and the Summer Story Squad.
Is West Acres a public or private company?
West Acres is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was West Acres founded?
West Acres was founded in 1972. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is West Acres based?
West Acres is headquartered in Fargo, United States, in the North America region.
How does West Acres make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Tenant Leases are the primary driver. The others are advertising & Sponsorships, mall Cards and Gift Cards and event Space Rentals.
Who are West Acres's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dakota Square Mall, Empire Mall, Mall of America, Apache Mall, River Hills Mall, Kirkwood Mall, Crossroads Center, Southdale Center and Rushmore Mall. Simon Property Group is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does West Acres have an API?
No public API is recorded for West Acres.
What industry is West Acres in?
West Acres's product category is Shopping Mall Operations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAGAFAA, Regional Full-Line Department Stores, with a secondary code of CRAGAAAD, Regional Traditional Department Stores.