Fast-fashion giant H&M will help fill MOA wing

It's not new to Minnesota, nor to the mall for that matter, but the Mall of America finally has something to help fill its not-even-half-full north wing: a larger H&M.

The two-level, 40,000-square-foot store is set to open this fall across from the 30,000-square-foot Zara store that opened in the mall a little more than a year ago.

With the two heavy-hitters next to one another, the north wing will become a destination for so-called "fast fashion." That's the term used to describe the retailers that have risen to prominence in the last decade, wreaking havoc on department stores in the process, with their formula of quickly copying the latest designs from the runways and offering them for low prices.

The expansion and relocation of H&M from its current spot in the mall, where it takes up about 25,800 square feet, isn't exactly the kind of luxury retail the mall initially talked about for the $325 million addition when it first opened in 2015. The wing also features an office tower, a J.W. Marriott hotel, a smattering of shops such as Anthropologie and a third-floor food court with a Shake Shack.

The mall's effort to lease the north wing has hit some bumps in recent years as many retailers have slowed expansion plans as they grapple with the rising popularity of online shopping. The mall used some of the empty space to house a media center during the Super Bowl.

And plans for adding more luxury retailers to the mall's lineup now seem to be more focused instead on another new addition, which remains on the drawing board despite initial plans to have it open as early as this fall.

KAVITA KUMAR

There are now at least a dozen retailers that Instacart delivers from across the region. Others include Cub, Total Wine, Costco, CVS, Petco, Whole Foods, Lakewinds Co-op, United Noodles, Wedge Co-op, Liquor Boy and Sur La Table. The options depend, though, on your ZIP code.

As Instacart adds more retailers to its platform, it's becoming an even fiercer competitor for Target, which recently launched its own delivery service via Instacart rival Shipt, a firm it acquired late last year and is expanding nationwide this year. While Shipt delivers for several retailers in other markets, in the Twin Cities, where it rolled out last month, Target currently is the only retailer it serves.

Target executives have said they hope to add retailers to the Shipt platform to make it more attractive for consumers to purchase a membership — currently $99 a year — and to make the service more cost-effective.

Meanwhile, Instacart offers various payment options — a $149 annual membership or $14.99 monthly membership for unlimited deliveries on orders over $35. Or consumers can choose to pay $5.99 for an individual delivery.

"The demand for delivery services has never been greater," Chris Sherrell, CEO of Fresh Thyme, said in a statement.

And Walmart announced last month that it will be expanding its same-day grocery delivery, in partnership with third-party delivery parties such as Uber, to more than 100 metro areas by the end of this year.

KAVITA KUMAR

Deals on eyeglasses frames usually come with an asterisk. Those $39 frames often have fine print that's difficult to read because, well, we need stronger lenses.

What it usually says is that the $39 frame price is only good when a complete pair of glasses is purchased, including lenses. That's when the savings on the $39 frame is often eaten up by above-market prices on lenses.

One way to avoid being overcharged is to check lens prices at Costco Optical after you get a quote from your own optical shop. Even nonmembers can call Costco to ask for a price. Lenses that cost $400 at an optical shop may be half as much at Costco, according to Consumer Reports.

About 16,000 frames will be on display. The frames are purchased for pennies on the dollar from optical shops going out of business around the country, said Chris Gregg, an optician and owner of IGH Family Eye Clinic.

Gregg has been a proponent of truth in advertising in the optical industry since the late 1990s. He complained to the Better Business Bureau about an optical shop that said its lightweight lenses were exclusive to its shop. It wasn't true and thanks to Gregg and the BBB, the company changed its advertising.

The sale is located on the second level of Southdale below Dave & Buster's.

JOHN EWOLDT