Minneapolis

Shopping

As the home of major retail corporations including Dayton Hudson, Target, and Best Buy, the Twin Cities has a history of innovative retailing. In 1956, the suburb of Edina became the site of the nation's first enclosed shopping mall, Southdale. Still a commercial success, Southdale today is the anchor of an entire business district and residential complex.

In the 1960s, downtown Nicollet Mall was turned into a pedestrian-only thoroughfare. This 12-block stretch of stores is still the main shopping district in downtown Minneapolis, boasting four department stores, numerous specialty stores, and four multilevel malls, including the City Center, Gaviidae Common, and IDS Crystal Court. Major department stores include Dayton's, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Retail complexes in downtown St. Paul include Galtier Plaza, Town Square, and the World Trade Center. The St. Paul Farmers' Market, open April through November, features fresh produce, baked goods, cheese, and arts and crafts.

The best-known shopping outlet in the Greater Twin Cities area is the Mall of America in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington. The country's most extensive shopping and entertainment complex, this "mega-mall" occupying 390,180 square meters (4.2 million square feet) of space opened in 1992. Offering movies and even amusement-park rides, as well as some 400 shops, restaurants, and entertainment sites, it is also a major tourist attraction, drawing over 40 million visitors a year.