"The tug-of-war across 69th Street appears to be as tense as ever in Edina." That's how Allison Kaplan opened her August column on the two malls in the Minnesota Star Tribune. The tug-of-war is real. The fall openings show something else too. Southdale Center and Galleria are taking on different jobs. Southdale is gathering the fashion labels and the long evenings. Galleria is turning itself into Edina's place to shop for the home.
The two centers sit on France Avenue on either side of 69th Street. Galleria opened in 1974, two decades after Southdale. A Saturday that uses both of them now looks a little different than it did a year ago.
The Brands That Crossed the Street
The fashion moves have mostly gone one way. The Star Tribune reports that Lululemon is one of more than half a dozen national brands that moved from Galleria to Southdale during Southdale's $400 million makeover. Madewell, Coach and Vineyard Vines now have stores at both centers.
The newest example is Alo. When the Los Angeles activewear brand opened at Galleria in 2024, it was Alo's first Minnesota store, and it took over the space Lululemon had left. On August 3, Simon announced that Alo will also open at Southdale in early 2027. The store will be on Level 1 near Center Court, between J.Crew and Kendra Scott. Galleria's management told the Star Tribune that Alo has a lease there. Starting next year, the same brand will have storefronts on both sides of 69th Street.
Southdale's luxury push hit a milestone on April 1, when Tiffany & Co. opened and filled out the eight-store Luxury Wing. Simon says the wider overhaul brings in more than 50 new stores, along with refreshed public spaces, refurbished artwork and more dining and entertainment through 2026. For apparel and luxury labels, Southdale is the gathering point.
Galleria Is Building Around the House
Galleria has answered by leaning into what it already did well. The Star Tribune's July comparison of the two malls calls Galleria "a destination for high-end home furnishings," anchored by Arhaus and Design Within Reach. It also notes that Galleria is almost fully leased and keeps drawing newer prestige brands like Yeti and Rivian.
The fall additions push further in that direction. Foxwell Studio x Shoppe is the interior design studio and boutique from former HGTV hosts Heather and Brad Fox. It has moved from Linden Hills to Galleria, and the mall's directory now lists it as "Now Open!" closest to Door 1. West Elm is moving down France Avenue to Galleria too, though Galleria's fall page now lists that opening for 2027.
Once West Elm arrives, a single walk through Galleria will cover Arhaus, Design Within Reach, West Elm and a working design studio. That's unusual for Edina. Comparing a sofa or a light fixture across several showrooms usually takes a car.
The other fall opening is a homecoming. Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier ran a store at Galleria from the mid-1990s until 2013. It's back now as Bissinger's only Minnesota location, at 3510 Galleria, closest to Door 6. It's open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Galleria marketing director Rachel Oelke framed the season this way in an announcement quoted by the Star Tribune:
"Championing local businesses alongside a dynamic mix of national retail, dining and lifestyle offerings is a key part of what makes Galleria such a unique and special destination."
Galleria also leads on upscale sit-down dining. The Star Tribune names Crave, COV and Pittsburgh Blue there. At Southdale, the paper counts only Yumi Sushi and the rooftop restaurant at the freestanding RH as new upscale spots since Cheesecake Factory arrived more than 20 years ago. Southdale's newest opening is aimed squarely at that gap.
Where Things Stand in Mid-October
Several of these openings have been announced for months and still haven't opened. As of October 12, 2026, here's what the mall directories and the most recent local coverage say.
| Business | Mall | Status as of mid-October 2026 | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier | Galleria | Open | 3510 Galleria, near Door 6 |
| Foxwell Studio x Shoppe | Galleria | Open | Near Door 1 |
| West Elm | Galleria | Listed as opening 2027 | Not yet announced |
| Smithson Steak & Seafood | Southdale | Announced for October, not yet open as of Oct. 5 | 10 Southdale Cir |
| Läderach Chocolatier Suisse | Southdale | Opening soon | Level One |
| Princess Polly | Southdale | Expected this fall | Level One |
| Lids | Southdale | Coming soon | Not yet announced |
| Alo | Southdale | Early 2027 | Level 1, near Center Court |
Smaller additions have also reached Southdale. La Creperie lists its address as 1405 Southdale Center and offers dine-in and takeout. Universal Buffet is on the first level near Entrance 17, open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Edina will soon have two Swiss and American chocolatiers on either side of 69th Street, with Bissinger's already open at Galleria and Läderach on the way at Southdale. That's the one category this fall where the two malls compete directly.
Southdale Is Built for a Whole Evening Now
The $400 million figure covers Simon's spending at Southdale since 2012, and much of it went to things beyond shopping. According to the Star Tribune's July report on the rebuild, the property now has apartments, a hotel, a grocery store, coworking space, county services, Life Time and mini-golf. The old food court is now a Kowalski's, whose food bars serve burgers, sushi and ramen next to an atrium seating area. The paper reports that Life Time, Kowalski's, the restaurants and the cinema keep the property busy longer each day. The apartments and hotel mean people are on site around the clock.
Smithson fits that plan. It comes from Randy and Sharon Stanley, the restaurateurs behind Baldamar in Roseville. The Star Tribune's October 5 restaurant roundup describes a 200-seat room with entrances from both the mall and the outside. The menu runs from formal steakhouse dishes to burgers and sandwiches. With an outside entrance, a dinner reservation doesn't require walking through the mall at all. The restaurant says every cut is aged for forty days.
The interior is worth a look for anyone who follows design. Shea, the firm that also designed Baldamar, describes a 13-foot entrance that opens onto Carrara marble, bronze accents, leather paneling and rift-cut white oak. Those are expensive, long-lasting materials of the kind usually used in rooms meant to last decades. An August Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal headline set an October opening. The Star Tribune's October 5 roundup still listed Smithson among restaurants not yet open, without an exact date.
The Calendar From Here to Christmas Eve
Southdale has posted its 2026 seasonal events on Simon's site. Galleria's site lists its regular hours, and those are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Design Within Reach's Holiday Hosting Sale at Galleria runs through Tuesday, October 13.
At Southdale:
- Mall-O-Ween, Saturday, October 31, noon to 3 p.m. Trick-or-treating runs throughout the mall.
- Santa photos, November 20 through December 24.
- Caring Santa, Sunday, December 6, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. This is a private, sensory-friendly visit for children with special needs, and reservations are required.
- Pet photos with Santa, Sundays, December 6 and 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m. No reservation is needed.
Southdale's events are reasons to spend an afternoon or evening there. This fall's additions at Galleria are reasons to shop for the house. For an Edina resident, the practical move is to treat them as two different stops, even though they share a parking lot.
At Turnquist Spilseth Real Estate Group, we follow showroom openings and new restaurant interiors closely, because the materials, finishes and furniture lines appearing along France Avenue shape what Edina buyers expect to see when they walk into a home. If a Galleria showroom has you sketching a kitchen or great room, our Turnquist Design team can help you work out which ideas would also help the house when it's time to sell.
