Meet 14 New or Soon-To-Open Stores in the Des Moines Metro Area

The retail industry in the Des Moines metro area continues to grow, attracting more and more retailers, from leading stores and national retailers to boutiques and locally owned shops.

Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines continues to dominate the retail scene with a focus on 12 key tenants, including Davenport’s newest department store Von Maur and a long-standing tenant, Fargo, North Dakota-based sporting goods retailer Scheels.

The 49-year-old Valley West Mall has found a niche for smaller, locally owned businesses, including three newcomers.

And the Outlets of Des Moines in Altoona continues to attract new discount stores, with one even planned for the end of the year.

Independent outlets are still popping up in the metro. Look out for two new independent bookstores, a retail boutique, a butcher, two bakeries and more.

Below is a list of some of the new retailers that have recently opened, and some that are still in the works.

More: Find out what’s happening at Jordan Creek Town Center and which stores have opened this year

What’s new at Jordan Creek Town Center?

After a busy season of openings ranging from Urban Outfitters and Madewell to FP Movement and Lululemon Athletica, Jordan Creek Town Center begins its 21st year in West Des Moines with just one opening to go. The mall, which opened on August 4, 2004, retained many of its tenants and is still nearly full.

The mall is more than just the 1.34 million square feet of retail stores inside. The largest mall in the state of Iowa includes land surrounding the mall that houses businesses like Costco Wholesale and Petco, as well as restaurants like Fleming’s Prime Steak House & Wine Bar, Bravo! Italian Kitchen, On the Border Mexican Grill and long-time tenant PF Chang’s. Even the Residence Inn is technically part of Jordan Creek.

Here’s what’s new and coming to Jordan Creek Town Center.

Blue Zoo: The interactive, for-profit aquarium geared toward children opened May 21 at the Villages at Jordan Creek Town Center, 6925 Mills Civic Parkway, in West Des Moines. The center features a 20,000-square-foot aquarium, saltwater and freshwater tanks and a tidal pool. The zoo includes a “bird forest” filled with parakeets, a reptile habitat with lizards, frogs and turtles, and a sensory room. There’s an area where visitors can feed stingrays and bamboo sharks in a shallow pool. A bamboo shark bit an employee at the zoo in July. The employee suffered non-life-threatening injuries. It’s at 6925 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines.

More: Starfish, stingrays and sharks come to West Des Moines at Blue Zoo

LEGO store: The Danish brick company’s first location opened in the center on May 31. The 2,142-square-foot store, located next to Lululemon Athletica, is on the lower level of the mall. Shoppers can find immersive experiences and LEGO products not found anywhere else. It’s the first LEGO store in Iowa.

More: Iowa’s first LEGO store opens at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines

Small: May was a busy month for Jordan Creek Town Center with the opening of Miniso, a Chinese lifestyle brand that is rapidly expanding into the U.S. market. Shoppers can find soft toys, blind boxes, toys, key chains, snacks, beverages, fragrances, beauty, accessories, stationery, homewares and electronics on Level 2, near Century Theatres.

K-Pot: The all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue and hot pot restaurant has already applied for a liquor license to serve at 7105 Mills Civic Pkwy. #160, West Des Moines. The chain will let customers order from a menu of more than 50 types of meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu and noodles that are prepared tableside. The restaurant will take over the former Wahlburgers space.

What’s New at the Outlets of Des Moines?

Gap Factory store: The Altoona discount mall plans to open a Gap Factory Store in the same row as Old Navy Outlet soon, where shoppers will be able to find casual clothing for men, women and children by the end of the year.

What’s new at Valley West Mall?

The meeting place on the corner: The chill zone is for kids aged 13 to 18 who want a safe place to hang out. The space includes charging stations, bean bags and games such as giant Connect Four, Uno, jumbo Jenga, oversized checkers and backgammon.

European flavor: This Ukrainian bakery offers pavlova, caramel cones, waffle cake, oreshki cookies, honey cake, a Napoleon, baklava and more. Customers can also pick up hot dogs, coffee and shawarma.

The toilet outside post: The boutique specializes in science fiction and fantasy, think DnD, dragons, lightsabers and more.

Other new stores in the metro

Bricks and minifigures: This one-stop aftermarket LEGO toy store offers new and used LEGO merchandise. Customers can buy and trade anything LEGO, whether it came in through bulk bins or storage. You can find it at 2767 86th St., Urbandale.

The Good Butcher: In September, Calvin Schnucker plans to open The Good Butcher, a butcher shop with house-made charcuterie, in Des Moines. Schnucker worked at Old Station Craft Meats in Waukee for three years before going his own way. He plans to work with whole animals “that are raised humanely and sustainably, including locally sourced non-GMO and grass-finished options,” according to Wini Moranville. For now, he has four types of house-made sausage available at The Cheese Shop. His butcher shop is at 555 17th St., Des Moines, between Homegrown and Big Grove Brewery, where his sausage is also served.

Good morning DSM: This macaron shop has moved from Valley West Mall to District at Prairie Trail with coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Americana’s, strawberry milk and custom orders. Find it at 1515 SW Main St., Ankeny

The Little Book: This charming children’s bookstore in Bethany and David Fast’s Highland Park neighborhood has everything from books for all ages (including adults) to local arts and crafts and events like Read & Rhyme Storytime with Miss Rebecca on Wednesdays and a neighborhood scavenger hunt. Local artist and author Nic Roth created the lavish mural behind the counter. Find it at 520 Euclid Ave., Suite 102, Des Moines.

Bangs and nods: Mallory Halverson opened this cheerful boutique that features women’s and children’s clothing, as well as home and accessories. Halverson also organizes the clothing by season, meaning it’s based on an analysis of the color family that best complements your skin tone. A portion of each sale is donated annually to Count The Kicks, a nonprofit that aims to reduce stillbirths by teaching mothers to pay attention to fetal movements during pregnancy. Find it at The Shops at Roosevelt, 833 42nd St., Des Moines.

Books about wandering raccoons: This new independent bookstore opened in July. Jena Best, owner of the pop-up shop Raccoon River Press, brought this brick-and-mortar store to Grimes. You can find it at 250 W. First St., Grimes.

Did we miss a new stockist? Spot a new store on the way? Drop us a line with details at [email protected].

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and food reporter at The Des Moines Register. You can reach her on Facebook, Twitteror Instagram, or send her a message at [email protected].