A Q&A with Jim Von Maur, Von Maur President & CEO · Fargo INC!
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A Q&A with Jim Von Maur, Von Maur President & CEO
For more than 150 years, Von Maur has built a reputation as a retail experience that brings elegance, exceptional service, and an intentional approach to growth.
In shortFor more than 150 years, Von Maur has built a reputation as a retail experience that brings elegance, exceptional service, and an intentional approach to growth.
3 things to know
1For more than 150 years, Von Maur has built a reputation as a retail experience that brings elegance, exceptional service, and an intentional approach to growth.
2That intentionality is what makes the company’s recent expansion into Fargo, North Dakota, especially noteworthy Historically, Von Maur has been selective, favoring metropolitan areas with populations in the range of 400,000 to 500,000—regions that can support the full scope of the Von Maur experience.
3On paper, Fargo might not meet that traditional threshold.
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For more than 150 years, Von Maur has built a reputation as a retail experience that brings elegance, exceptional service, and an intentional approach to growth. That intentionality is what makes the company’s recent expansion into Fargo, North Dakota, especially noteworthy
Historically, Von Maur has been selective, favoring metropolitan areas with populations in the range of 400,000 to 500,000—regions that can support the full scope of the Von Maur experience. On paper, Fargo might not meet that traditional threshold. But as you’ll learn later in this interview, there are other factors at play that helped buck the traditional Von Maur trend.
At the center of this measured growth is Jim von Maur, the company’s president and CEO—a fourth-generation steward of the family business—who we were lucky enough to speak with shortly after the opening of the Fargo store.
Q: Why Fargo?
A: Well, we initially had our reservations. Fargo itself is a mid-sized community, but we could really see all the growth that was happening, and just this general excitement within the community and the state overall. And then, of course, the West Acres Mall—we really liked it. It’s well-leased, it’s clean, and there’s limited competition up there. We could see the mall was drawing from a very wide area—people coming in from all over the state, Minnesota, and even Canada. So, we felt confident that we weren’t just serving Fargo, but this very large trade area.
Q: How does that process usually work for someone in your position? Like, how long are you thinking about it— wondering, ‘Should we move into Fargo?’ Are you touring the area? What does that decisionmaking process look like?
A: West Acres Mall is familyowned, and the family was very engaging. They stayed in touch with us for quite a while. I think they initially reached out about 15 years ago and they wanted us to take the original Sears building. I think we just deferred at the time. But as we kept visiting and getting to know the market, our confidence grew. And again, we could see all the great changes happening in the mall. We also opened one of our stores there called Dry Goods, and that store did extremely well when we launched it. So that gave us some additional confidence to move forward.
Q: I just find it particularly interesting, because in preparation for this article, I was reading something you were quoted in. It was from 2022, and it mentioned that Von Maur typically selects markets with a minimum population of 400,000 to 500,000. Is that accurate? Is that typically the case for you guys?
A: Yeah, anything smaller than that might not have the density to really support location.
Q: I think the reason I’m curious about that is—you’re talking about how there are a lot of people to draw from across the state and even from Canada. But the Fargo metro itself is only around 250,000, so it doesn’t quite meet that typical population threshold.
A: And again, that’s where we could really see it—people were coming from all over: Grand Forks, parts of Minnesota, and Canada. At our grand opening, we even talked to people who had driven up from central Minnesota just for the event. So that shopping center really pulls from a wide area.
Q: So, it’s my understanding—at least from reading other interviews you’ve done—that Von Maur places a really high importance on customer service and things like that. How do you make sure you maintain that as you continue expanding, adding one to two locations a year?
A: That balance is something I’ve always been very careful with. I’ve seen other stores grow way too quickly, and they didn’t have the personnel or the attention from leadership to ensure the culture was really being transferred to the new location. And it takes a lot of effort to do that. There’s a fine balance between wanting to grow and holding onto the very things that allow you to grow—the things that make you special—and not losing that in the process. That’s part of the reason why we only open one to two stores a year. We want to make sure we have great people in place who can help us open each store on the right foot, continue to manage it, and ensure that when a customer walks in, they feel like they’re walking into a Von Maur—not something less than that.
Q: Can you give me some insight on what that process looks like from a nuts-and-bolts perspective?
A: In terms of building out that culture and getting employees ready, you’ve got to make sure you have a strong leader who can head up the store. It’s about identifying, almost 100% of the time, someone internally who can go in, hire the right people, train them, make sure they understand our values, what Von Maur excels at, and what makes us special, and then execute all of that. It takes a lot of work. It’s not easy. That’s why we promote from within—because we know we’re going to get exactly what we need. I honestly can’t think of a single example where we’ve hired a store manager from outside the company to open a new store—or even run an existing one. It’s just too delicate.
Q: Are there any offerings that are unique to the Fargo store?
A: Each store gets a little more refined, a little better. In Fargo, we introduced a more updated look—it’s definitely our newest concept. But we also try to make sure the store feels familiar to our existing customers. So we have the piano in the center court, the beautiful and spacious children’s department, an accessible customer service area, elegant restrooms, a ladies’ lounge, digital signage—all of those signature elements. We definitely put our best foot forward in Fargo.
Q: What sort of metrics are you looking at to determine the health and success of this new location?
A: Ultimately, it’s sales. That’s the main thing. That’s the scoreboard. And I can tell you, our grand opening was through the roof— absolutely outstanding.
Even in the days leading up to it, and certainly since then, we could tell we made a great decision. The business has been phenomenal.
Q: What are the biggest challenges you face when you have these expansions?
A: Typically, the biggest challenge is finding the right people to work there. And yeah, Fargo has been very challenging in that regard. We’re looking for people who genuinely like helping others, who enjoy providing great service, who take pride in how they dress and present themselves, and who want to work in a clean, exciting environment like Von Maur. But with unemployment levels in Fargo being so low, it’s been really difficult to find people. In a lot of markets, the challenge is getting our name out there—educating people on who we are, who Von Maur is. But in Fargo, it felt like people already knew us, thanks to our stores in Eden Prairie and Rosedale. So we had a bit more name recognition.
Generally, when we go into a new market, most people drive by, see the sign, and have no idea who we are. So it becomes about two things: finding the right people and educating potential customers. Because once we get them in the door, they’re hooked— they love us. It’s just a matter of making sure they know we’re there and what we offer.
Q: How do you guys screen for those correct candidates?
A: First, we go through their application to make sure they have a solid work history and some experience. Though honestly, we’ll even hire people without prior experience—we just want to make sure there’s nothing that stands out as a red flag. Then it’s the interview process—usually one or two interviews—and that’s really how you get a feel for whether this is the right person, a good fit for the store.
Q: What are your earliest memories of the store?
A: We would go down there, and the department stores were known for their big events. So we’d drive down just to see those kinds of big events. It was a lot of fun, and I have a lot of vivid memories. We’d come in through the back alley to get into the store—my dad would take us that way. There was a little tea room restaurant down in the basement where we’d go to have lunch. So, yeah, a lot of fond memories. We also had a mechanical Christmas display window— with little animals playing hockey and things like that. The windows were very elaborate, really beautiful. The whole community would go down just to see them. It kind of had this Disneyland feel to it. So, yeah—it was good.
Q: Did you ever feel like you didn’t want to work for the family business growing up?
A: I wouldn’t say it was a foregone conclusion— retail and fashion weren’t necessarily my passions as a kid. What really drew me to the company was seeing that it was growing. We were in the process of opening new stores, branching out, and I could see the potential and the excitement building around that. I really wanted to be a part of it. I could see where the company was headed, and thankfully, it’s ended up exactly where I had envisioned it would be.
Q: What’s it like working with family?
A: It’s great. I mean, working alongside your father, your uncle—and for a while, some cousins and my brother in the business—that’s really special. Especially having the opportunity to work with your father, to learn the business through him, and to carry on the way he believes it should be run. You can’t beat that.
It’s really just a matter of communication. When you’re working with family, there’s a lot of shared history from growing up together, and that can be both a good thing and a bad thing. The important part is to communicate how you’re feeling. If you feel like you’re not being listened to or you’re being slighted, speak up. Have an open dialogue. And definitely don’t force it. If it’s not working out, if you’re not getting along, then find something that makes you happy. Don’t feel like just because your family is in a certain kind of business, you’re obligated to do that and enjoy it. There might be something else out there that’s a better fit—and that’s perfectly okay. You shouldn’t feel that kind of obligation.
Q: What are some important things you’ve learned in business lately?
A: There’s nothing like having a strong balance sheet. In times of crisis— whether it’s a recession, COVID, or any unexpected hit—being financially strong and not overextended is a great position to be in. It allows you to withstand the pressures of the economy and anything else that might come your way.
It sounds cliché, but the biggest lesson is this: if you have the right people in the right spots, you can do anything. Our opening in Fargo was just an incredible day. You couldn’t have asked for a better store, a better launch, and it all came down to having great people come together to make it happen. That’s the most gratifying part of business.
Another thing I’ve really learned over the past year is just how constantly retail is changing—and how important it is to adapt and evolve without getting too far ahead of yourself. Take e-commerce and social media, for example—things like BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In Store). Implementing those kinds of services is crucial. But then you start asking: how important is it? How much money should you invest in e-commerce versus brick and mortar?
Retail has changed so much. Back in my day, you opened a store in a mall—that was the only way people shopped. Before that, folks would go downtown for goods. Then people started moving out to the suburbs, shopping malls popped up, and my dad and uncle realized they had to branch out from the downtown and be part of those shopping centers. If they hadn’t made that move, we wouldn’t be here today.
So there’s always this fine balance between not chasing every quick trend and still understanding that people’s shopping habits are evolving. Over the last year or two, the questions have become: How big should e-commerce be? How big should a store be? Because yes, people are buying more online, but they still want a brick-and-mortar experience—a true shopping experience.
That’s what’s becoming more and more important with the advancement of technology, marketing, and social media. Do you run traditional ads and billboards, or is it all about the message you’re getting across online? Because that’s where everyone seems to be getting their news and information now.
And then you have younger customers who want things a certain way—but you can’t forget about your older customers who are used to a different kind of experience. So it’s this constant process of adapting and changing, while still holding firm to your core values.
Q: What are you learning when it comes to that marketing aspect?
A: Traditional media is generally just a lot more expensive. Social media is more accessible, but it’s also really noisy. Everyone’s out there, so it’s hard to stand out with so many influencers and content creators competing for attention. I think, overall, the world is definitely heading more toward the social media side of things. The power of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube—it’s phenomenal.
Editor of Fargo INC! — covering the founders, companies, and ideas shaping business in Fargo-Moorhead. Eleven years in, still no opinions, no politics, all business.
