MplsMart Defies Retail Trends
Just west of Highway 169 in Minnetonka stands the MplsMart, a 180,000-square-foot throwback to a shopping era before the internet, when the way to source products for stores was to place wholesale orders through manufacturers’ reps, who usually kept a showroom in a “merchandise mart.” Now that it’s so easy for retailers to discover new lines online and go directly to manufacturers, regional merchandise marts are downsizing, changing their model, or, in the cases of Denver and Kansas City, closing altogether.
But in the Twin Cities, a funny thing happened on the way to extinction: The MplsMart is experiencing a sort of renaissance. Eight new rep groups have signed on since June. With fewer marts operating nationwide, reps from some larger brands like North Face are embracing the MplsMart; they, in turn, draw buyers from larger retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Scheels. Local stalwarts Bachman’s and Patina still do some of their product sourcing at MplsMart, and a new generation of regional boutiques—some that likely can’t afford the time and expense of traveling to a larger trade show in Las Vegas or Atlanta—is coming too, says president Barb Anderson.
“Attending a local trade show adds that human element—it’s fun to be part of something bigger.”
—Barb Anderson, President, MplsMart
“Attending a local trade show adds that human element—it’s fun to be part of something bigger,” says Anderson, a longtime product rep. MplsMart is run by a board of local reps rather than a management group, which she believes has helped keep it alive.
Located in the Opus Business Park—itself in the midst of a revival—MplsMart on Bren Road opened in 1977 as Minneapolis Gift Mart; in 2010 it became Minneapolis Mart. Last January’s rebrand to MplsMart was intended to signal an update and today’s broader mix, including apparel and home and garden. At its peak in the 1980s, MplsMart housed more than 100 product rep groups, Anderson says. Today, it has around 60 permanent tenants, and many have downsized. But including temporary reps who set up for trade shows, which happen six times a year, occupancy swells to near 100.
MplsMart is currently using slightly less than half of its sprawling one-level building. Nevertheless, Anderson and the board negotiated a new lease through 2025 with ownership group Money360. “It gave us new energy,” Anderson says.
The board also created a futures group to both draw new tenants and plan for a possible relocation later on.
