"We were planning on a spring opening,'' Von Maurpresident RicVon Maur told GlobeSt.com. ''But themall is doing a totalrenovation in which they'removing people out and everything else.So we decidedto open with the rest of the mall in earlyAugust[2001]."

Eden Prairie Center is adding a 14-screen AMC theater,a Barnes& Noble bookstore, and several restaurants aspart of a majorremodeling of the store, says ShelleyKlaessy, a spokeswoman withGeneral Growth Properties,which owns and manages the 900,000-sfmall.When Von Maur opens the 150,000-sf store in EdenPrairie Centera year from now, the small, privately ownedretailer will be thefirst full-line department storechain to enter the Twin Citiessince the Mall ofAmerica opened in the early 1990s.

Von Maur does not rely on heavy marketing or prime locations forits success. In fact, they don't oftenlocate in the premium malls,preferring to stay in theless expensive second-tier malls. Forinstance, inBloomington, IL, Von Maur is the only departmentstorein College Hills Mall. Even though a nearby mall isstrongerand more established, Von Maur does anexcellent business, Von Maursays.