Ames Shoe Carnival Plans Grand Opening March 16

Shoe Carnival, an Evansville, Ind. based shoe store, plans a grand opening near North Grand Mall in March.

Jessica Hass, Shoe Carnival promotions and public relations coordinator at the headquarters, said she wasn't sure of the store's exact location, but signs around the North Grand Mall, show it next to the planned TJ Maxx, in an area under construction being called Shoppes of North Grand.

The opening is one of three new stores planned for that shopping area. TJ Maxx and Kohl's have both announced that they will open this spring. Kohl's plans to open in early March and is planning a job fair starting Saturday and TJ Maxx hasn't set a date, but hopes to open in the spring as well. A fourth retail slot remains under construction. Shoe Carnival plans its grand opening on March 16.

The new store is part of a larger expansion for the company. The family footwear retailer that offers brand named shoes with value pricing, plans to open two other stores nearby, and has scheduled a total of 15 grand openings nationwide, Hass said.

In Iowa, the Ames store will be joined by a store in Clive and another in Des Moines. The company has a total of 344 locations.

“Honestly we are looking to grow our business in the Des Moines area,” Hass said. “We're excited for a good start to 2013,” she said of the expansion.

The shoe store would provide Ames with a seventh store that focuses solely on shoes. TradeHome, Payless ShoeSource, Journey's and Foot Locker are in the North Grand Mall and Brown's Shoes and Emerhoff's Footwear are available downtown.