West Acres

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.

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

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

• Retail space leasing
• Shopping mall operations
• Commercial advertising
• Event venue rentals
• Mall gift cards

Headquarters

HQ city

Fargo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Mall Cards and Gift Cards: Sale of mall gift cards through Guest Services, providing customers with a convenient gifting option for mall retailers.
4. 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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Northern Plains Botanic Garden SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/WestAcresMall
• Facebookfacebook.com/westacresmall
• Instagraminstagram.com/westacresmall
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-acres-regional-shopping-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about West Acres