Von Maur destined for Sears space at Woodland Mall
The Iowa-based Von Maur department store chain will be installing a 90,000-sq.-ft. location at PREIT’s Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a space to be vacated by Sears. A 2019 opening is planned.
A 145-year-old, family-owned chain of 31 stores in 14 states, Von Maur’s offerings aspired to the high end with brands like Eileen Fisher, Coach, and Tommy Bahama.
“We like to call ourselves a fashion department store because we focus on more of the fashionable end of the merchandise,” president Jim von Maur told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel last year. “We stay away from home goods and focus primarily on fashion, which is apparel, shoes and accessories, with a smaller gift department.”
PREIT is pursuing an aggressive strategy of upgrading its properties with high-end, high-profile retailers, and Woodland serves as a shining example with tenants the likes of Apple, Pottery Barn, Lush, and North Face. Company CEO Joe Coradino is convinced the replacement of Sears with Von Maur will increase profitability at the mall.
“The initiative will solidify Woodland Mall's place as the premier retail and entertainment destination in Grand Rapids, while creating tremendous value at the property by growing net operating income and driving meaningful traffic and sales,” Coradino said.
The Sears store at the 1.2 million-sq.-ft. Grand Rapids mall was one of three recaptured this year by the Philadelphia-based developer. The other two were located at the Capital City Mall in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and the Magnolia Mall in Florence, South Carolina.
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