West Acres is set to open North Dakota’s first The North Face store Friday at 10 a.m., bringing the outdoor apparel brand to Fargo for the holiday shopping season. The opening follows months of anticipation since the store was first teased in August.
The shop will take over the former Eddie Bauer space in the mall’s JCPenney wing, between MinnDak Market and the stairs to the lower-level shops, according to InForum. The report says the store will carry apparel and gear for all ages. West Acres announced the opening on social media, InForum reported.
A Brand With Deep Roots and a Big Footprint
The North Face was founded in San Francisco in 1966 and now operates more than 1,200 stores worldwide, according to InForum. West Acres’ store listing describes its assortment as performance apparel, equipment and footwear.
West Acres Development CEO Alissa Adams called the opening a holiday-season milestone, saying, “We are thrilled to welcome the first The North Face store in North Dakota in time for the holiday season,” per InForum. Adams also said new arrivals in the coming months would broaden the mall’s tenant mix and add offerings for the community.
More New Names Headed to West Acres
Other additions are planned on a longer timeline. Hammer Made, a Minnesota-based men’s apparel store, is estimated to open at West Acres in late 2026, while a LEGO Store is planned for early 2027, InForum reports.
Reports differ on when L.L.Bean will arrive. InForum’s coverage of The North Face opening says L.L.Bean is announced to open in spring 2027, matching West Acres’ store page, which describes a planned 15,000-square-foot store and says it will be the brand’s first in North Dakota. A separate InForum article about the former Forever 21 space gives an early 2027 opening. The timing therefore remains unsettled across those accounts.
Outdoor recreation and the Fargo market
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that outdoor recreation employment in North Dakota grew 4.3 percent in 2024. That is an employment growth figure, not a measure of the sector’s total economic contribution or a breakdown of activities, and it does not establish local demand for outdoor gear. The North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department reported 1.29 million visitors to state parks in 2020, when visitation increased; that count does not measure retail demand.
For population context, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, reported by FRED, puts the Fargo, ND-MN metropolitan statistical area at 269.528 thousand people. The metro estimate provides regional context but should not be treated as the store’s trade area.
For now, the focus is on Friday's debut. Shoppers heading to West Acres for The North Face opening will also find the mall gearing up for the rest of its holiday season, with Santa set to make his seasonal appearance at the mall starting Nov. 14.
