Ames, Iowa, the home of Iowa State University’s 35,000-strong student enrollment and the Big 12 athletic conference’s Cyclone country commercial culture, gives North Grand Mall a regional mall trade area whose consumer base divides between the ISU academic and student household and the Story County agricultural and professional community at the intersection of Grand Avenue and US-30. JCPenney anchors the department store comparison-shopping floor, with Sephora operating within the JCPenney unit as the ISU market’s accessible prestige beauty destination. Dunham’s Sports anchors the sporting goods floor with the regional mid-market format whose price positioning serves the agricultural and rural household’s outdoor and athletic needs below the Dick’s Sporting Goods tier. Riddle’s Jewelry, the South Dakota-founded Midwest regional fine jewelry chain, gives the property a Plains States-native jewelry identity.
Kay Jewelers serves the national chain jewelry floor alongside Riddle’s. Buckle, Eddie Bauer, Rue21, Shoe Carnival, and Tradehome Shoes cover the accessible fashion floor. Bath and Body Works serves the accessible beauty category. Starbucks serves the café and daily beverage occasion. Harbor Freight Tools serves the tools and equipment category for the agricultural and trades household. Walgreens serves the pharmacy and daily needs category. Pet Supplies Plus serves the pet care retail category. The Main Event Sports Cards and Collectibles gives the property a sports memorabilia identity for the ISU sports fan community.
The property’s commercial role in Story County is the Ames Grand Avenue regional mall: a JCPenney-Dunham’s Sports comparison-shopping and sporting goods platform whose Riddle’s Jewelry Plains States heritage, Sephora JCPenney prestige beauty identity, and Harbor Freight Tools agricultural trades floor serve the Iowa State University academic community and Story County household as the primary enclosed retail destination in the Ames-ISU market.
