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Fargo, N.D.--The bustling West Acres Shopping Center in Fargo has seen the departure of Zales Jewelers. The store, positioned centrally in the mall, ended its operations due to the expiration of its lease, as per a report in In Forum. 

[Representative image via istock.com/amstockphoto]

Chris Heaton, Senior Vice President of Property Management at West Acres Development, disclosed in the report that despite discussions about a lease extension, Zales chose to close based on internal decision-making processes.

Zales, a part of the Signet Jewelers Ltd. conglomerate, is not the only corporation brand present in the mall; Kay Jewelers remains active and reportedly performs well. The mall's management expressed satisfaction with Kay Jewelers' continued success and is now focusing on filling the vacant space next to Macy's, described as prime real estate in the heart of the mall.

Per the report, the closure of Zales at West Acres comes after Wimmer's Diamonds consolidated its operations, leaving its West Acres location in late 2021. Zales, dating back to 1924 and starting in Wichita Falls, Texas, has grown to around 422 locations across North America, notes the report Signet Jewelers, in its latest quarterly report, indicated a net decrease in store numbers, closing 78 but opening 17, bringing its total to 2,747 stores worldwide.

The search for a new tenant for the now-vacant space is underway, with mall management aiming to leverage its central location to attract a high-value tenant. 

Learn more in the report in In Forum.