That was fast: Von Mauer outgrows e-commerce facility

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Von Mauer may not be a household name in the retail world, but the Davenport, Iowa-based department store chain must be doing something right with its online business.



After five years of triple-digit growth the operator of 27 department stores is planning a dramatic expansion of its existing e-commerce fulfillment center just in time for the 2012 holidays. The company built its existing 46,000-sq.-ft. facility in 2010 and has already outstripped its capacity, resulting in the need to expand by an additional 73,000-sq.-ft. Once completed, the new facility will measure 119,000-sq.ft., and while that is not large by the standards of multi-billion retailers who operate one million square foot facilities, the magnitude of the expansion is significant considering Von Mauer only operates 27 stores.



“The rapid expansion of our e-commerce center is a reflection of the success of our online business and the continued growth we predict in Web sales in the future,” said company president Jim von Mauer.



“E-commerce will continue to be a key driver of growth, helping us further extend the one-of-a-kind Von Mauer brand and offering to customers across the country.”



The company is intent on expanding beyond its Midwestern roots where the majority of stores are located and now operates stores as far north as Minneapolis and as far south as Atlanta. The company plans to open three new stores this year including a second location in Atlanta and its first stores in Alabama and New York.