Recent Trade Shifts in the Des Moines / West Des Moines Metropolitan Region

Abstract

A large expansion in shopping capacity was introduced at the Jordon Creek Town Center area of West Des Moines in late 2004. As that project developed, concerns were voiced about the impact of the development on the overall retail and service health of the region: the supposition was that gains in the newer areas would come at the expense of existing malls and trade areas in the region.This research looks at metropolitan-wide trade in fiscal 2006, one full year after the Jordon Creek expansion, compared with fiscal 2004, the fiscal year prior to the opening of the development.This analysis allows us to gauge the magnitude of trade changes accumulating to the MSA as a whole, and the extent to which trade shifted within the region. It sorts out the area trade winners and losers.